(Photo by Zachary Meseck)

NEW YORK STATE - New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo visited the Southern Tier on Tuesday, delivering a coronavirus update with a warning that local governments need to hold businesses accountable as they start to reopen.

The update took place Tuesday afternoon at the Binghamton University School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Johnson City. Cuomo provided a general overview of current coronavirus information, a timeline for reopening businesses, and his take on why wearing a mask is about showing respect for others.

Cuomo said New York State has a better handle on the rise of coronavirus cases in the United States. He said while certain regions within the state have lower reports of the virus, it's important that New York State as a whole reopen slowly to avoid closing back down later on.

He added that the virus is constantly mutating, and now there appears to be a number of COVID created inflammatory diseases appearing in children.

“We thought, initially, that it didn't affect children. We're now dealing with an issue that's very disturbing,” he said. “We have about 100 cases of an inflammatory disease in young children that seems to be created by the COVID virus.”

The governor said t he symptoms of the children were similar to toxic shock-like syndrome, but it's an inflammation of the blood vessels and can affect the heart.

Two boys ages five and seven had died, along with 18-year-old girl due to the illness.