Cuomo’s coronavirus restrictions are ‘arbitrary decisions not based on science': Pataki
'They're having a horrific economic impact'
New York’s coronavirus restrictions are “arbitrary decisions not based on science,” and "they're having a horrific economic impact," according to former New York Governor George Pataki.
“I would be doing almost everything different than the way Gov. Cuomo is doing it now, starting first with the vaccine,” Pataki told FOX Business’ “Varney & Co.” on Friday.
Pataki then criticized Cuomo’s "absurd" comment that the vaccination plan “can’t go forward” due to how the Trump administration “designed it" unless his experts approved of it.
NY RESTAURANT GROUPS SLAM GOV. CUOMO COVID-19 CURFEW: 'A HUGE BLOW'
Cuomo told ABC News' "Good Morning America" on Monday, "We can't let this vaccination plan go forward the way that the Trump administration is designing it because Biden can't undo it two months later," after Pfizer announced its vaccine candidate proved to be more than 90% effective in 94 subjects who were infected with COVID-19 and developed at least one symptom.
Pataki pushed back, saying; “This is just cruel to think that his experts who convinced him to put COVID-19 positive patients in nursing homes are now going to decide when New Yorkers can get the vaccine that we have been desperate for months and months.”
As of Friday morning, the coronavirus infected more than 10,555,469 people across all 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia, resulting in at least 242,435 deaths. There are more than 5,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York.
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Meanwhile, only 13.1% of workers in the greater New York City area are back in the office, according to Kastle's Return to Work Barometer -- the lowest rate among all major U.S. cities.
Pataki said although he projects New York City to make a comeback after the pandemic, it is a matter of “how long it will take.”
“If we continue to have the wrong policies both at the governor's level and at the mayor’s level, it is going to take a lot longer. New York is New York,” Pataki said. “One of the great attractions are all of the restaurants. I just saw a statistic this morning… 88% of New York City residents haven’t paid their full rent since the COVID virus hit. That’s almost 9 out of 10 restaurants that can’t pay their rent. So why would you go to the office building when there’s no one else there and if you want to go out to lunch or dinner you can’t.”
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Fox News’ David Aaro and Alexandria Hein contributed to this report.