The Cuomo and de Blasio Feud: How a Bitter Rivalry Between Two Lawmakers Impacted New York City’s Covid-19 Response

The Cuomo and de Blasio Feud: How a Bitter Rivalry Between Two Lawmakers Impacted New York City’s Covid-19 Response

In the spring of 2020, New York City was the epicenter of Covid-19 in the United States. There was one week in mid-April when 700 people in New York City died of Covid-19 every single day. Local and state governments scrambled to mitigate this dire situation, but this process was made all the more difficult due to the strained relationship between New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. These two lawmakers have butted heads for years and the Covid-19 pandemic only heightened these tensions. In this paper, I will explain how New York City’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic was hindered due to de Blasio and Cuomo’s infamous feud. This has been true regarding disagreements on how to slow the spread of Covid along with how and when to re-open safely.

Stella Kirszner '23

05-07-2021

English