NEW YORK (AP) — Andrew Cuomo has apologized to New York City’s Jewish community for his response to the COVID-19 pandemic when he was governor, a rare retreat on a signature campaign issue as he runs for mayor.

In a video that circulated online Wednesday, Cuomo said he was acting to “protect health and save lives” during the pandemic — when he angered Orthodox communities by limiting the size of religious gatherings — but did not “always fully consider the sensitivities and traditions that are so deeply important.”

“We could have done better, and for that I am truly sorry. My intentions don’t change the impact, and I sincerely ask for your understanding,” Cuomo said in the video, which was timed to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

The video was not posted to Cuomo’s social media pages

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