New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio urged increased attention to the growing coronavirus numbers, saying the Big Apple must act now. “We need to do everything in our power to stop the coronavirus from reasserting in New York City,” he said in a press briefing on Monday. “We have to stop a second wave from happening here, it is getting dangerously close.”
New infections could be on the rise. According city data, the city’s seven-day rolling average is at 779, well above the warning threshold of 550 cases. The citywide infection rate on a seven-day rolling average is at 2.21%. “These are numbers that should have us all alarmed and ready to act with everything we’ve got,” de Blasio said.
He did not call for more restrictions, but de Blasio mentioned indoor dining as a potential target. Restaurants are limited to 25 percent capacity.
Restrictions are being eased in some Brooklyn neighborhoods, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo during a Monday call. “Brooklyn was quite a fuss when we made it a red zone,” Cuomo said. “People didn’t like the restrictions, but it worked.”
The “red zone” is being lifted for parts of the borough, which will move to an “orange zone.” That means restaurants may offer outdoor dining with a four-person max per table.
Among the suggested city-wide protocols, despite the coming holiday season, is to avoid travel.
“The holidays we associate with travel, and the holidays we associate with indoor gatherings, big meals together—that, unfortunately, this year cannot be the case,” de Blasio said.
The main focus is to eliminate, or at least limit, indoor gatherings and to wear a mask. “We can stop a second wave if we act immediately, but we have one last chance and everyone has to be a part of it,” he said.
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