The rules and regulations associated with the COVID pandemic were the difference between the mass loss of lives and issues with the health of different individuals. The rules set aside by the New York administration led by Governor Andrew Cuomo suggest that different aspects of the changes that the administration put in place helped ease the burden on health services in the state. The nationwide response was commended with the governor’s aspect of sharing helpful information, and refusing to get caught up in the politics of the COVID pandemic helped raise awareness among different members of the state. The essay highlights how effective the rules and regulations were in terms of the numbers of deaths and infections before and after their implementation.

The COVID Pandemic in New York

           The onset of the COVID pandemic came with various surprises since not many people knew what to make of the new virus. The virus ate through various aspects of society, killing most people and overwhelming the hospitals. In New York, the state experienced one of the worst-hit places, with the most deaths experienced in the country (Lau et al., 2020). The numerous hospitals were filled with doctors overwhelmed by the number of patients at any single time. The state, which is the most populated, faced the issue of people interacting since that was the most common way that the virus spread among individuals. The spread of the virus involved the people requiring a different way of living, affecting how people lived their lives and how businesses operated. The business operations of most countries had to stop during the early days of the pandemic, which made people feel its financial and social pinch.

The COVID pandemic was followed in mid-2020 by protests against killing a black man by a white officer. The outrage and protests that accompanied the issue saw many people gather in the streets of New York. In social terms, it was a big moment and movement for black people in the cause for equality, but it was a disaster for the New York administration in terms of health. The free mingling with each other, with the lack of adherence to critical national regulations such as wearing masks, increased the rate of infections in the state. New variants have also led to increased infection rates throughout the pandemic, leading to more deaths and hospitalizations. The laws and regulations that governor Cuomo and his administration advanced in their place, however, helped reduce the effects of the pandemic on the people of his state.

Rules and Regulations that the Administration put in Place

           Cuomo’s administration stressed the importance of ensuring different people understand what role they can play to get the best results in getting as few infected people as possible. Infection rates in the state reduced dramatically when the residents of New York began to follow these regulations. The state employed the main CDC guidelines, with governor Cuomo’s continuous support and exposure to the public showing them that these guidelines were safe since the governor was also using them. Governor Cuomo relied on transparency to attract people to his ideas and follow the rules and regulations (Salway et al., 2021). The rules about masking outdoors and keeping safe distances were easily implementable since the officials could see the people not following these rules. The individual determined the other personal aspects, such as washing your hands regularly and coughing into the elbow (Powell  & Chuang, 2020). Cuomo hoped to use their trust and belief in him to drive how people participate in these tasks.

Besides the CDC guidelines, Cuomo and his administration aimed to ensure they came up with rules specific to New York’s people. An example of a regulation they implemented was the “New York on Pause” directive which significantly reduced how people interacted (Zu et al., 2021). Rather than waiting for government direction like other governors, governor Cuomo went after the issue himself and enforced a lockdown of some of the main activities. The directive saw a decrease in the movement of people in the state, which in turn affected how they interacted with others in the same state. The directive ensured that with a decreased rate of interactions, there was a reduced risk of infections for the majority of the people.

The governor was also influential in incorporating how the people in the state wore masks in public situations. Although it was a guideline by the CDC, Governor Cuomo made it mandatory for every New Yorker to wear masks in the event they are in a public situation. The governor showed up to various interviews and press conferences wearing a mask himself which indicated he understood the importance of these masks to curbing the spread. Research indicates that the masks reduced the transmission rate by up to 60%, which was high enough to ensure the reopening process could be a conversation in late 2021 (Zu et al., 2021). The governor’s reliance on science helped him achieve the goal he set for himself about what the state could achieve if it followed the guidelines.

The administration also ensured hospitals received the equipment and technical support to keep their information updated. Governor Cuomo ensured increased ventilator supply in the state, intending to increase the overall allocation of the various aspects. The Ventilator Allocation Program set up decades ago could finally be implemented in the overall outcome of the pandemic and in a bid to overcome the issue. The program ensures that all the hospitals in the state got an equal share and opportunity at getting enough ventilators to cover New York’s vast population (Gutman Koch& Han, 2020). The administration acted swiftly to ensure the distribution mirrored the issue and ensured different people got the proper care according to their condition.

Conclusion

           The measures have improved the state’s readiness and awareness of the COVID pandemic. The Governor relied on science to overcome this issue, and it was his decisiveness ultimately led to the reduction in infection and death rates. There are suggestions to ensure they dealt wit it better even though the state was commended, such as ensuring they acted earlier in the pandemic with the guidelines and the ventilator support.