Finger Lakes Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Cuomo further restricts workforce to 25% in offices, will waive some mortgage payments for 90 days

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, appears with his daughter Michaela on Thursday to talk about the coronavirus outbreak. Michaela Cuomo is missing the final months of her senior year of college because of the crisis.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, appears with his daughter Michaela on Thursday to talk about the coronavirus outbreak. Michaela Cuomo is missing the final months of her senior year of college because of the crisis.

WXXI's Karen DeWitt reports that a day after Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered mandatory 50% workplace reductions, he issued new restrictions to 75%.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, appears with his daughter Michaela on Thursday to talk about the coronavirus outbreak. Michaela Cuomo is missing the final months of her senior year of college because of the crisis.
Credit Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, right, appears with his daughter Michaela on Thursday to talk about the coronavirus outbreak. Michaela Cuomo is missing the final months of her senior year of college because of the crisis.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo is taking more steps to reduce human density in the workplace in light of the rapidly spreading coronavirus. He said just 25% of employees can now come into the office.

“We’re reducing it again except for essential services,” said Cuomo, who added he is asking all businesses to voluntarily have all employees work from home. 

The governor said the steps are necessary to continue to try to flatten the curve and help prevent overwhelming the hospitals in the coming weeks.

Cuomo also wants to waive mortgage payments and bank overdraft charges for the next 90 days if a person can demonstrate financial hardship. 

“Waiving these payments will not have a negative effect on your credit report,” said Cuomo. “We’re not exempting people from the mortgage payments, we’re just adjusting the mortgage to include those payments on the back end.” 

All foreclosure proceedings will be temporarily suspended. The governor will also ask banks to waive overdraft fees for debit and credit cards for the next three months. 

Cuomo also addressed the personal strain and disruption the crisis is placing on everyone. He was joined by his daughter, Michaela Cuomo, who is in her senior year of college, which she will now miss.

“She was deprived of the last year and the last few months of college, which I am sure were a very intense study period,” Cuomo joked as his daughter smiled.

Michaela Cuomo also canceled a planned spring break trip, and the governor said he hopes it’s because she learned a lesson he tried to teach her when she was growing up. 

“I did say to all three of them from as soon as they could crawl, I used one line. What is the one line I used to say?" Cuomo asked his daughter.

"Risk, reward," Michaela Cuomo answered.

Cuomo said the young people continuing to party on Florida beaches, as seen on social media, are not following that principle and are being reckless and irresponsible.

The governor said the family will hold a graduation party for his daughter at some later date when this is all over.

Copyright 2020 WXXI News

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.