New York state will once again allow horse racing at Yonkers Raceway, without fans, starting June 1, marking another step toward revitalizing the economy in the city of hills and Hudson Valley.

Without fans, MGM’s racetrack will forego the usual boost in revenue they receive from large gatherings for racing, but televised events will still bring in some money.

State Assemblyman Gary Pretlow says New York State is expected to issue guidance sometime in the coming week as to how Empire City Casino employees at the racetrack should handle themselves to operate safety.

New York state is projecting a $13 billion revenue loss over the next fiscal year due to COVID-19.

That’s on top of the state’s direct spending in response to the pandemic, which has topped $3 billion since the beginning of March.

Yonkers congressman Eliot Engel said the U.S. House approved legislation Friday that would provide an additional $500 billion to states to aid their response for COVID-19. It would also repeal a cap on state and local tax deductions for states most affected by the disease, like New York.

Governor Andrew Cuomo called on the U.S. Senate to take up the measure, which he called a “smart bill,” though the upper house isn’t expected to approve it as written.

The state Division of Budget has projected that state funding for schools, local governments, and hospitals could be cut as much as 20% without additional aid from the federal government.

Yonkers senator Shelley Mayer says those cuts are expected to be decided in the next two weeks.

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY, has been reluctant to provide aid directly to state governments, saying it would amount to a “blue state bailout” for states like New York.

Yonkers senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart Cousins says if federal lawmakers provide funding for New York state later this year, the cuts the governor is expected to announce this month could be restored.