Secret parties and religious gatherings: quarantine violators paid $ 172 thousand in 3 days

Most of the fines were issued in the so-called red zones. The total amount of fines for three days there amounted to $ 172. The edition writes about this in more detail. NBC New York.

Since New York divided into zones and tightened quarantine, law enforcement officers issued 60 subpoenas. Fines for violators of the new restrictions on holding public events in three days amounted to at least $ 172. This was reported at the sheriff's office.

The fines were introduced amid new spikes in COVID-19 in some clusters, which has doubled the number of hospitalizations across the state in just a month. As of early October, 878 people were hospitalized in the state, the highest since July 1.

For example, in the Brooklyn Borough Park area, sheriff's deputies identified five religious institutions that violate the new rules. Meetings were held in them with the participation of more than 10 people. Each violation carries a $ 15 fine.

Law enforcement officials have issued 60 subpoenas since the restriction began in New York City's cluster zones, city officials said.

The toughest restrictions apply to areas with "red" zones, where the risk of contracting coronavirus is highest. Red zones affect only 2,8% of the state's population, but that same percentage of the population accounts for nearly one-fifth of new cases in the state, and the number of positive tests there is more than five times the state average.

In the "red" zones, mass gatherings are completely prohibited. Meetinghouses have a 25 percent capacity, or a maximum of 10, while schools have moved to distance learning and secondary businesses are closed. Fines of up to $ 1000 per day accompany social distancing and mask wearing.

According to the latest information provided by the sheriff's office, 19 out of 60 subpoenas issued recently are in the "red" zones. Seven of them were issued in the "orange" zones, where there are less strict rules regarding the relative capacity of churches and the number of participants in mass gatherings. Schools are also taught online, but non-essential businesses can remain open provided strict security protocols are followed.

Nine summons were issued in the “yellow” zones.

Fines continued to be issued outside the cluster zones. The deputies made four arrests and issued 13 subpoenas to appear in criminal court at a Queens rave that took place outside the district's cluster zone. In this case, four subpoenas were issued in connection with the violation of the sanitary and hygienic code. Also in Long Island City, outside the cluster zone, 21 subpoenas were issued in connection with an illegal assembly.

On the subject: New York Launches COVID-19 Tracking App: How It Works

Sheriff Fucito said there have been reports on social media that deputies gathered for a party in Cunningham Park after work was over. According to him, the party was attended by at least 100 people in addition to the DJ, private security personnel and a hookah bar.

The new restrictions will remain in effect until the trend of the spread of the virus returns to levels that were observed in New York this summer.

While some have complained that the new restrictions are unfairly directed against them (most of all, representatives of religious communities have complained about the restrictions), Governor Andrew Cuomo insists that the rules are based on scientific evidence. He says they apply to those territories that violated the COVID-19 security protocol, which allowed clusters to form and the virus to spread.

Cuomo now wants to prevent further spread of the virus. “Now we need to focus on these small clusters. Because if the situation is not taken under control, the virus will spread, Cuomo said. “We should get smarter. We are dealing with a virus. Therefore, we must use science and become more sophisticated. "

If these "tiny areas are not closed, the virus will spread so much that an entire city or state will have to be closed," the governor warned.

Cuomo also launched an aggressive, targeted testing strategy focused on red zones, along with 20 zip codes where coronavirus hotspots were found. While overall infection rates remain low, the total number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has reached recent highs in both the state and the city.

Daily Percentage of Positive Tests by New York Region

With the entire state of New York in some form of reopening, a particular focus has been placed on daily monitoring of test results in each region. This will allow potential hotspots to be identified before they appear. For the latest countrywide results, click here.