Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo berated reporters during a highly tense coronavirus press briefing. He was informed that NYC schools were closing due to a surge in new infections. The governor learned that NYC schools would remain close on Thursday from a reporter towards the end of the briefing.

On Wednesday, Cuomo delivered a coronavirus press briefing, during which he got into a shouting match with reporters. While he should have found out that the New York City public schools would not remain open the following day due to a surge in coronavirus cases from Mayor Bill de Blasio, he learned the news from reporters since de Blasio was running over five hours late to his own coronavirus news conference.

Alternatively, Cuomo could have been tipped off by a city or state official, but he wasn't. Cuomo's briefing and de Blasio's quality of late representing the disorganized COVID-19 response between the Empire State's governor and the mayor, who has continuously feuded during their time in office.

Cuomo first clapped back at the veteran New York Capitol reporter Jimmy Vielkind of The Wall Street Journal, who had the chance to ask the news conference's first question on whether schools would close in New York City. The question came when the chancellor of the New York City Department of Education, Richard Carranza, had not announced that schools across the city would switch to remote learning after the community spread of coronavirus surpassed a 3 percent rate.

Cuomo responded by accusing Vielkind of using an obnoxious and offensive tone, adding that he was a hundred percent wrong. He soon began yelling at the reporter, whom he advised reading the law not to be confused. The mayor noted that the state law has allowed the schools to remain open, Fox News reported.

Coming to Vielkind's defense, The New York Times reporter Jesse McKinley said that questioning what parents need to know about schools being closed was not obnoxious. Cuomo responded angrily, saying he didn't care what McKinley thought since he is in the same business as Vielkind and is expected to agree with him, Business Insider reported.

Before Cuomo concluded the briefing, McKinley was able to ask one final question, informing the mayor that the NYC school chancellor had announced this during the briefing. At first, Cuomo seemed to mishear and went on to repeat de Blasio's criteria for a 3 percent infection rate to close schools. Still, McKinley insisted that he wanted his reaction since the decision was already made.

Cuomo asked if the mayor has confirmed that the infection rate has exceeded 3 percent. But, McKinley clarified, saying that the chancellor, not the mayor, made the announcement.