Cuomo: Staten Island On Track For COVID-19 Restrictions

NEW YORK (VINnews) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at his Sunday press briefing that several parts of New York are on track for going back to COVID-19 restrictions, due to a recent surge in infection rates. The areas in question are Upper Manhattan, parts of Staten Island and Long Island.

“We have several communities that are in the warning track,” Cuomo said at his Sunday briefing. “Right now … unless they dramatically change the trajectory of the infection rate, this week, they will go into those zones.

“Parts of Staten Island will go into an orange zone. Parts of Staten Island will go into red zone at the current rate,’’ he said.

“Staten Island is a serious problem,” Cuomo noted. Truthfully, Staten Island grappled with the highest 7-day average infection rate in the city, 4.5 percent.

“Staten Island is also a problem in terms of overburdening hospitals, and we’re running into a hospital capacity issue on Staten Island that we have to have to be dealing with in coming days.”

Entering orange zone status means that indoor dining at restaurants would be suspended, while non-essential and high-risk businesses, such as gyms and hair salons, would fully close. Houses of worship would be restricted to maximum 33 percent occupancy indoors, and gatherings would be limited to 10 people.

Schools would have to follow a mandatory testing plan in order to remain open, otherwise they must go all remote.

Entering red zone status, on the other hand, means that outdoor dining at restaurants would be closed too. Restaurants would be restricted to take-out and delivery only. All non-essential businesses would be closed, and houses of worship would have a maximum occupancy restriction of 10 people.

Under red zone status, schools can remain open if they adhere to a mandatory testing plan, just like orange zone status.

As far as Upper Manhattan, the governor said it will enter yellow zone status, along with Nassau and Suffolk counties on Long Island. This will be true as long as the numbers continue on their current trajectory.