“I think this is the first time I have been truly stumped by a question,” Gov. Cuomo answers.

By h. nazan ışık—

1 July 2020—

“We had the highest numbers to deal with in the country and you look at where we are now, we did a full 180 degrees. We went from the highest cases, the highest viral transmission rate to some of the lowest rates in the country,” Gov. Cuomo said today during today’s briefing, and he talked about the “re-openings” .

On Monday, 22 June, NYC entered phase 2 of reopening includes outdoor dining, in-store retail, hair salons and barbershops, playgrounds. And NYC beaches will open to swim on 1 July.

That is good news, but, I always wonder how safe it is to use public toilets, especially the lidless ones?

Today is the perfect time to ask Governor Cuomo this question since Dr.Zucker, Commissioner of Health for New York State is with him.

h. nazan ışık: My question may sound silly, but I am going to ask it anyway. It is about the importance of the toilet lids to contain of the Covid-19.

Many health experts say closing the lid before flushing is a key to prevent it.

Many restaurants, retail stores, city, state buildings, which I have been to, do not have toilet lids, including the Governor office in New York City.

Will the State address this shortfall to help contain the spread of Covid-19?

01 xx bana 'LiDLESS' e cevab B&W XXXXX .jpg

Governor Andrew Cuomo (© h. nazan ışık/NKENdiKEN)

Governor Andrew Cuomo: Lidless toilets. Do lidless toilets promote COVID virus?

Can I tell you something? I have done probably 300 hours of public briefings and received 59 million viewers just on the Internet watching the briefings and they send me a lot of questions.

I think this is the first time I have been truly stumped by a question.

(I feel like Gov. Cuomo studies what questions might be asked by journalists after a briefing. And this question was definitely not in the script)

Governor Andrew Cuomo (© h. nazan ışık / NKENdiKEN)

I understand why you would close the lid on the toilet but if you have a lidless toilet, what do you do?

I really feel ashamed but I do not know. I don’t even know where to start with this question.

Luckily that’s why I bring my able Health Commissioner because he, not only is he a great medical doctor but he is up on all public health and hygiene issues including appropriate facilities. (And Gov. Cuomo punts the question to Dr. Zucker) Dr. Zucker….

Dr. Zucker, Commissioner of Health for New York State ( © h. nazan ışık /NKENdiKEN)

Dr. Zucker: I’m not a plumber, but I will tell you a couple of things.

One is that the virus can spread through fecal contamination and you should keep the lid down.

On the issue of lidless toilets, so now you let’s say you have multiple stalls, so people are suggesting that you distance even there. So if you use one stall, if someone is in one stall, not to use that one. And go over to the next stall for those lidless toilets.

But the toilet cover should be down independently [inaudible] whatever.

Gov. Cuomo: Excuse me. Can I follow up on that question? Are you saying that there is socially distanced, social distancing should also be carried forward into a lavatory setting?

What can I say? Shall we take this conversation seriously, or shall we laugh? Is this a smart suggestion coming from Dr. Zucker, Commissioner of Health for New York State, and is this a brilliant follow up question asked by Andrew Cuomo, New York Governor.

Do you think that they, governor Cuomo and Dr. Zucker are the regular public restrooms users?? I don’t think so!

Dr.Zucker: You should be away from, so if someone is in one stall and you’re going to flush that stall and the worry is that things will—

(Gov. Cuomo interrupts Dr. Zucker )

Gov. Cuomo: (Looks at press members. And ends it abruptly.)

Make a note. You heard it here first. Thank you guys. (And leaves.)

Well, Mr Governor, your unstudied, unrehearsed answer to this one unexpected question definitely creates a follow up question or questions, but certainly different than your follow up question.