'This is just the beginning': New York significantly increases quarantine

New York will face “significant” restrictions in the next few weeks as new cases increase COVID-19. Some businesses have already refused to comply with the new restrictions. Meanwhile, Thanksgiving is approaching with many Americans planning to visit relatives. Following the holiday weekend, officials say another surge in the pandemic is expected. And health officials predict an even bigger surge for December-February. The edition writes about all this Fox5NY.

On November 25, businesses in southern Staten Island, where the risk of contracting the coronavirus is high, were closed indefinitely. Now New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned of more "significant" restrictions that are planned to be introduced in connection with COVID-19. These restrictions will apply to the entire city and will take effect in the coming days.

The entire southern coast of Staten Island is now in the "orange" quarantine zone, which has closed gyms, beauty salons and restaurants there. Outdoor dining is permitted, but indoor and outdoor dining can accommodate up to 10 people.

The northern part of the borough is in the yellow zone, along with upper Manhattan. Indoor and outdoor dining is permitted, but up to four people can sit around the same table.

During a TV interview on Tuesday, de Blasio said the restrictions are just the beginning. “In the next week or two, there will be some significant restrictions. I think restaurants and gyms will close. I'm not happy with this. Nobody is happy with this, but this is what is to come, ”the mayor said.

The number of coronavirus cases is expected to rise sharply during the holidays. On Staten Island, the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has tripled in the past three weeks. Statewide, test-positive rates rose 120% over the same period. "The day after New Years, the percentage of positive reviews will rise from 2,9% to 12%," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.

On Tuesday, New York City recorded 6 new positive cases, the highest in a single day since April 265. About 24% of tests tested positive in the last week, more than double the figure a month ago.

New infections surged in New York this fall, and state and county health officials say Halloween parties contributed to the virus's latest outbreak this month. As of Tuesday, the number of COVID-19 patient hospitalizations rose to nearly 3000. The state has seen 2599 patients daily for the past seven days, up 82% from 1428 patients two weeks ago.

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“I think if we get into trouble, it’ll be a few days after Thanksgiving weekend,” Cuomo said at a press conference on Wednesday, November 25 in Rochester.

On average, the state has recorded 5 new cases daily over the past seven days. This is 599% more than two weeks ago and three times more than four weeks ago.

City officials are stepping up law enforcement to control the spread of the virus. Among the actions aimed at this - custom scan at checkpoints of bus passengers arriving from other states.

And earlier this month, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new measures for travelers, according to which they must test negative for COVID-19 before arriving in the state, and another directly in New York. This will allow them to avoid a two-week quarantine upon arrival.

Violators of quarantine restrictions risk being fined up to $ 2000.

The governor also ordered that home gatherings be limited. Now no more than 10 people can participate in them (until recently, this number was 50 people). This disrupts the plans of many families for Thanksgiving, since it is customary in the United States to gather together on this holiday with all relatives, and this can be dozens of people.

Due to this four sheriffs in New York declined monitor residents' compliance with the private meeting limit on Thanksgiving. They explain this decision by the fact that they do not have enough resources for checks, especially since they consider these checks inappropriate.

“Sheriffs express their political opinion. That is, they are ready to enforce only those laws with which they agree. This is a frightening precedent. What if they disagree with anti-discrimination laws, or domestic violence laws? " - commented Cuomo.

But it is not only the sheriffs who refuse to obey the restrictions imposed by the authorities.

Mac's Public House is a restaurant in Grant City. It is covered all over with stickers and signs on which it is reported that the institution is in the "autonomous zone", therefore it refuses to obey the new rules. “We refuse to abide by any rules and orders set forth by the Mayor of New York and the Governor of the State,” the statement said. This was reported in the CBS New York video on the channel YouTube.

Mac's Public House management posted on social media last week: “We have refused to comply with any rules and regulations set out by the Mayor of New York and the Governor of New York State. Every day, small businesses live in fear not only of this virus, but also that our authorities will deprive us of our livelihood, even if we are safe. To clarify the situation, we admit that this virus poses a real threat, and we are taking the necessary precautions. But we do not recognize that our government has the right to shut us down when we are working in a safe way. "

With the current restrictions, the restaurant could face fines of up to $ 15 per day.

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Staten Island residents express their frustration with the new restrictions. “It ruins lives because we cannot make money. "Orange", "pink", "blue", "green" (zones. - Ed.) - it does not matter. So what if I cross the line and find myself in the "orange" or "yellow" zone? Does that mean I'm safe? I don't see any sense in that, ”said one of the boroughs.

Meanwhile, the fight against COVID-19 continues throughout most of New York, writes NBC New York... In an attempt to bring the pandemic under control, mass testing of the population is being carried out. More than 1 million COVID-19 tests have been performed since the start of the pandemic.

At the moment, the rate of positive tests for coronavirus has not reached the 3% threshold, but the state authorities are confident that this will happen: the only question is when.

Therefore, the authorities are persistently asking New Yorkers to stop traveling on holidays. The Mayor of New York decided by his own example to show that it is important to stay at home. Speaking of his Thanksgiving plans, Bill de Blasio told CNN on Tuesday November 24 that he will not travel as he has done before, but will stay at home to celebrate. “Don't travel. Stay home. If you love people, if you love your family, help them stay alive so they can meet in person next year, ”said de Blasio. "It won't be a traditional Thanksgiving, but we just have to go through it once."

The governor, speaking at a press conference in Long Island, also advised not to travel and said he had changed his plans for celebrating Thanksgiving with his 89-year-old mother.

But there are also those who refuse to follow the calls of officials. Thus, on November 25, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) reported that 6,49 million air travelers have passed through the checkpoints over the past seven days, the highest figure since the end of March.

Predicting another spike in the pandemic after the holidays, the Governor of New York has ordered the reopening of a field hospital on Staten Island at the request of local hospitals overwhelmed by the recent surge.

The number of patients with COVID-19 in New York hospitals has increased to about 2900, which is almost one and a half times the number of patients hospitalized on November 1. Over the past three weeks, the number of hospitalizations has increased by 128%.

Of the 173 tests carried out on Tuesday, November 085, 24 were positive (6265 percent of all cases). The total number of hospitalizations is 3,62 with 2 deaths from the coronavirus. For the first time since April 982, the state surpassed 41 cases per day. It should be noted, however, that at the end of April, New York City tested about a quarter of the people being tested today.

On Wednesday, November 25, de Blasio reiterated that he is concerned about the growing number of hospitalizations of patients with COVID-19. He said the percentage of New Yorkers who tested positive was 2,74%, at a 7-day rolling average of 3%, which led to the closure of schools last week.

The mayor did not say when the students will be able to return to their desks, but said on Wednesday, November 25: “We will be back. And next week we will announce the details of the return. This will take place in stages, ”the mayor promised.

A serious outbreak of COVID-19 is expected from December to February. Health officials have advised the state to prepare for this period. Cuomo said that attention will be primarily focused on areas with the highest rates of illness and hospitalization. The plan will also take into account the impact of Thanksgiving and the potential spike in disease.