New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he’ll be forced to clamp down on indoor dining if state hospitalizations don’t fall within the next week.
Cuomo made the announcement on Monday at a press conference, adding that the proposed rules would be in line with updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC tweaked its guidelines on preventing the spread of COVID-19, saying that indoor venues where distance isn’t maintained and masking is inconsistent are high-risk scenarios for contracting the coronavirus.
The guidelines also urged people to wear masks outdoors for the first time and reduced the quarantine period for someone exposed to the virus to seven or 10 days. The agency still recommends that people quarantine for 14 days after being exposed to the virus or after they have arrived at a new destination. However, the quarantine period can end after seven days if a person has not experienced symptoms and can prove that he or she has tested negative. After 10 days, the person can leave quarantine if he or she has not had any symptoms without proof of a negative test.
“CDC changed their guidance on Friday. Some have been critical about the change in guidance from CDC. I’m not,” Cuomo said. “I believe as the facts change, your opinion changes. As the facts change, your strategy should change. I don’t have a problem with that. But they offered additional guidance on indoor dining, especially, and we’re going to follow their guidance.”
Cuomo said hospitalizations must stabilize in five days, or he will have to introduce new limitations and possibly closures.
If the rate doesn’t fall, Cuomo said the state will close indoor dining in New York City. The city is currently at 25% capacity for indoor dining locations.
In the rest of the state, capacity is at 50%. The governor said he will cut that rate in half if hospitalizations don’t stabilize. The rules would go into place by region.
New York has had over 700,000 COVID-19 infections and over 34,000 deaths. A number of state and local officials across the country are introducing public health measures as cases continue to rise.
