(Reuters) – New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he planned to give U.S. President Donald Trump an unvarnished account of what his state needs to test residents for the novel coronavirus when they meet in Washington on Tuesday.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence watch a video of New York governor Andrew Cuomo speaking at Cuomo’s daily briefing, during the daily coronavirus disease (COVID-19) task force briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 19, 2020. REUTERS/Al Drago/File Photo
At his daily briefing, Cuomo said he would ask that the federal government take control of securing chemical agents and other materials needed to process tests, a major hurdle to increasing output at state labs.
“He has no problem telling me when he disagrees and he tells me he agrees,” said Cuomo, who added that he is equally frank with the president. “The heck with it, just tell the truth and whatever it is, it is.”
The White House meeting was due to take place at 4 p.m. ET (2000 GMT).
Cuomo outlined a regional approach to reopening businesses and schools, suggesting that rural areas could restart life more quickly than harder-hit urban locations like New York City, the epicenter of the U.S. crisis.
New York’s 211 state labs rely on manufacturers of testing