New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Saturday that New York’s presidential primaries scheduled for April 28 will be rescheduled for June 23.
The move comes as state officials seek to stem the spread of the coronavirus, with New York the epicenter of COVID-19 in the U.S.
The governor said there are 52,318 confirmed coronavirus cases in New York, including 7,681 new cases. At least 728 people have died in the state because of the virus.
Cuomo said June 23 was chosen as the makeup date because New York already has state and congressional races scheduled for that day.
Multiple states have pushed their presidential primaries to June as the pandemic has forced much of daily American life to stop. Across the country, schools, restaurants, bars, movie theaters and other leisure businesses have been forced to close, hampering the U.S. economy.
On Friday, President Trump signed into law a $2 trillion stimulus package with the hope of revitalizing the country’s lagging economy.