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NYC on brink of another COVID lockdown
Mayor Bill de Blasio is warning that all five boroughs of New York City could be put back under lockdown after Thanksgiving.
NEW YORK - New York City's mayor says he expects more closures to go into effect in the city the week after Thanksgiving.
Appearing on WNYC radio on Friday morning, Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "This is painful to talk about."
New York City reported 1,255 new COVID-19 cases, a figure the mayor described as, "worrisome as all hell."
The positivity rate in New York State has reached 2.9%, and is over 3% in New York City.
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New NYC COVID restrictions loom
The news that New York City could become a yellow zone, meaning a closure on bars, indoor dining and gyms has left those who work at those businesses dreading what’s coming next.
There were also 115 new coronavirus hospital admissions reported on Friday.
"There's something going on here we have to address," de Blasio said during the Ask the Mayor segment on The Brian Lehrer Show.
He says a second wave is bearing down on the city.
"We need restrictions," the mayor said.
The restrictions will go into effect if the state puts the city into an Orange Zone. With the Orange Zone rating, houses of worship will be limited to 33% capacity or 25 people maximum. Both indoor and outdoor gatherings will be limited to 10 people. All businesses that are deemed high-risk and non-essential would be closed. That would include indoor dining, gyms, and hair salons.
Some business owners in New York City say they are wondering how they will survive a second lockdown.
Public schools in New York City have already gone to all-remote education. The mayor said they are still trying to formulate a plan to allow them to reopen.
A group of healthcare organizations, doctors, and scientists known as the COVID-19 Working Group is urging Mayor de Blasio to begin the shutdowns immediately, saying that the data shows that the second wave is well underway. The group says that businesses are certain to get shut down in the coming weeks anyway and points to case history shows that shutting down earlier flattens the curve, allowing businesses to reopen sooner .