Since the Legislature handed Gov. Andrew Cuomo vast powers to fight the coronavirus, he might as well use them wisely — for starters, by suspending New York’s new statewide ban on most plastic bags until the pandemic threat passes.

The ban, which kicked in this month, forbids most single-use plastic bags and allows a nickel charge for each paper bag. At best, it’s dubious policy (most plastic in the world’s oceans comes from China, just for starters), but it’s an especially bad move right now.

Why? Because the reusable bags that advocates push as a replacement are serious germ-spreaders. Most users don’t wash them often, so contaminants linger and spread. (Oh, and if you do wash it regularly, you’re negating the environmental gains from not using the usual plastics.)

Public-health officials are clear: Touching surfaces with the COVID-19 virus on them is one of the main ways to contract the illness — and if the virus is on your bag, reusing it will spread corona more.

The folks who love the bag ban will scream, but putting it on hold is just common sense right now. Lawmakers gave the gov the ability to override special-interest complaints, so he might as well use it for the clear public good.