COVID-19 was just beginning to take hold of New York City in March 2020 when reporters last set foot in City Hall’s Blue Room for a press briefing with Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Since the pandemic began, with exception of the occasional on-site outing, the mayor’s interactions with members of the press have been limited to daily briefings conducted remotely — with the mayor conducting business from the Blue Room and taking questions from journalists calling in through a Webex conference.
