Coronavirus: Unless Something Dramatic Happens Quickly, New York City Staring At Orange Zone Status Soon
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The closures may not just stop at schools.
More coronavirus restrictions could be coming citywide, CBS2's Alice Gainer reported Tuesday.
MORE: COVID In NYC: Schools Switching To All-Remote Learning Starting Thursday
New York City hasn't been declared an orange warning zone yet, but Mayor Bill de Blasio said it's likely to happen and that would mean businesses, many which only just reopened, would have to close again under state rules.
"The state has made very clear additional restrictions are coming and coming soon," de Blasio said. "Additional restrictions across the board that will affect a number of different industries, a number of different parts of life of the city."
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Last month, the Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a cluster action initiative to address COVID-19 hotspots. Brooklyn, Queens, Broome, Orange and Rockland counties were placed in various color zones with restrictions for a minimum of two weeks -- red (the cluster itself), orange (a warning zone) and yellow (a precautionary zone).
At 3%, New York City now finds itself staring at the orange zone.
"What happens at 3%? Houses of worship, mass gatherings, business restrictions, dining restrictions, schools close," Cuomo said during his press conference on Tuesday.
In addition to schools going remote, orange means:
- Houses of worship limited to 33% capacity, 25 people maximum.
- Mass gatherings 10 people maximum indoors and outdoors, a limit the governor had already enacted statewide last week.
- Gyms and personal care non-essential businesses close.
- Indoor dining closes. Outdoor remains, but with only four people maximum per table.
"Brooklyn was an orange zone. It is being dropped to a yellow zone, so the restrictions work," Cuomo said.
But there has been a statewide uptick.
"Remember just a few weeks ago we were at 1% in New York? No state in the nation is below 2%," Cuomo said.
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The governor is urging everyone not to give in to COVID-19 fatigue and to be careful over the holidays and not gather.
"My advice on Thanksgiving? Don't be a turkey," Cuomo said.
Again, New York City has not been declared an orange zone yet. The state will make the call based on its numbers.
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