Nov 13, 2020
- I want to ask all New Yorkers to carefully think about their Thanksgiving plans in the context of the current COVID surge around the nation. Look at the numbers in your community and look at the numbers in the United States and the world. They are rapidly increasing—countries are locking down. As we approach the holiday season, if people travel so will the virus. I believe this situation is going to continue to deteriorate over the coming weeks.
Effective tonight, all indoor and outdoor gatherings at private homes are limited to no more than 10 people as we see more and more instances of "living room spread"—that's COVID spreading in smaller, private settings. Bars, restaurants and gyms will also close beginning tonight from 10pm to 5am (excluding takeout and delivery) in order to reduce virus spread in these settings.
We are in this together, and everyone must do their part to protect our loved ones and communities. I know it's hard, and we're all tired—but there is still a long time before a vaccine will be available, and we must manage this global surge. The next few weeks are key.
Here's what else you need to know tonight:
2. A regional summit will be held this weekend with governors from Northeastern states. It's important that we are aligned with our neighbors on how we handle the virus. In light of rising cases in the region, I will meet with neighboring governors to discuss aligning our policies amid this national surge.
3. The Rockland County cluster will move to a Yellow Zone. The micro-cluster has been under 3 percent positivity, and hospital admission rates have declined, meeting the metrics for transitioning to a Yellow Precautionary Zone and the buffer zone will be removed. More information about the State's micro-cluster strategy is available here.
4. Yesterday, New York reported a record-high number of tests, with over 200,000 tests reported. As we draw closer to the holidays, it's important that New Yorkers get tested so we can identify positive cases, implement our contact tracing program and stop the spread. Any New Yorker can get tested and you can find a testing site near you here. You can also call 1-888-364-3065 to make an appointment at a New York State-run testing location—most sites have available appointments at drive-thru or walk-in locations.
Tonight's "Deep Breath Moment": Michelin-acclaimed La Morada, a family-run Mexican restaurant in the Bronx, is serving as both a restaurant and soup kitchen. Early on in the pandemic, the owners had to close the restaurant after experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, but when they reopened, following a successful online crowdfunding campaign, La Morada began cooking for families in need. Now the restaurant makes about 650 meals a day for fellow New Yorkers—including those who are elderly, unemployed or unable to cook.
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