Cuomo warns of second coronavirus wave if restrictions eased too soon

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pushed back on calls to reopen the state's economy following an anti-lockdown protest outside the state Capitol in Albany on Wednesday.

The big picture: Cuomo said at a briefing Wednesday there were 474 deaths in the past 24 hours, a drop of 481 deaths in the previous 24-hour period. But he warned of a potential "second wave" if restrictions were hastily relaxed. "We get the economic anxiety," he said. "The question is how do you respond to it and do you respond to it in a way that jeopardizes public health and possibly causes more people to die?" Cuomo suggested those wanting to work could "get a job as an essential worker." He doubled down on his comments on CNN Wednesday night.

Go deeper: In photos: Groups protest coronavirus lockdowns across the U.S.