A lot of digital ink is being spilt this evening over this one-minute exchange in @NYGovCuomo's interview on WAMC today. It starts around 13 minutes in: https://www.wamc.org/post/gov-cuomo-wamcs-northeast-report-52820 The quote is in the next tweet, but it comes as we await word on whether Phase 2 starts tomorrow. 1/

Here's the quote: "The reopening of the first 5 regions ends tomorrow. When Phase 1 ends we'll give the experts all the data, it's posted on the web, but let them analyze it and if they say we move forward, we move forward." Some are reading this to mean Phase 2 is delayed. 2/

First, no one @News_8 spoke with today is telling us if Phase 2 is on or off for tomorrow. @BobDuffyROC's spokesperson says they're also waiting on Cuomo. On that note, we're running a story tonight on the growing confusion over this transition among some small businesses. 3/

Second, while some are surprised over the mention of expert analysis - Cuomo added in the interview that "international experts" will look at the data - that part was mentioned last week in a briefing out of Albany. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-announces-state-bringing-international-experts 4/

Third point is more of an observation than fact. The concern appears to derive from the assumption that an expert analysis would take enough time to delay Phase 2. But I've heard enough off-the-cuff comments from enough people that I'm not rushing to judgment. Here's why: 5/

It's possible the experts have been analyzing the data all along and tomorrow they'll simply have to add in the final numbers, which would make a green light tomorrow feasible. That would mean Cuomo's phrasing was a bit off, which is certainly possible. 6/

It's also possible that analysis will start tomorrow, but doesn't take nearly as much time as one might think. I have no idea. Either way, I - like many of you - would have liked more clarity as to what's happening. That said, I don't think his words w/o question = delay. 7/7