New York Governor Andrew Cuomo wears a protective face mask when he comes to speak during a daily briefing after the outbreak of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Manhattan in New York City, New York, USA. USA, July 13, 2020.
Mike Segar | Reuters
Governor Andrew Cuomo said there was “significant evidence” that restaurants in New York City were violating social distancing policies designed to contain the spread of Covid-19 and threatened to close establishments that did not follow the rules.
“There is significant evidence of noncompliance,” especially in New York City restaurants and bars, Cuomo told reporters in a conference call Thursday. “It’s wrong. It’s dangerous. It’s selfish. It’s unacceptable.”
He said the state will close the restaurants after three violations, but heinous violators could face an immediate closure and lose their liquor license. The order begins Thursday, he said.
“Three violations and you’re closed. We will also publish the names of the establishments facing disciplinary charges,” he said.
New York City will begin its phase four reopening on Monday, which would allow the reopening of shopping malls and cultural institutions, but indoor operations will remain closed, Cuomo said.
When asked about the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, which announced Wednesday that it would reopen in late August, the governor said “no one knows.”
“I think they can plan to reopen and then we’ll see what the facts say,” Cuomo said.
“We are still seeing problems, not only in bars and restaurants, but across the country,” he said. “You see this inside the interior spaces, air-conditioned spaces where the virus tends to spread. So we’re going to take that precaution in New York City.”
He said he is tightening the rules in New York as the state prepares for a second wave of coronavirus infections from states with increasing outbreaks in the west and south.
“Our numbers are good but … what we are dealing with is the potential for a ‘second wave’ from these other states,” Cuomo said. “New Yorkers paid a high price for Covid and are equally upset with these violations,” Cuomo said.
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner joined the press call and reiterated Cuomo’s comments, saying that Houston “faces a situation where our numbers have increased. More people are showing positive results, showing up in our hospitals and our ICU “.
New York sent teams to the Houston area to set up test sites and partner with local churches, delivering hand sanitizer, personal protective equipment and test kits, Cuomo said. Without calling anyone by name, Cuomo mocked “some states” for voiding local mask mandates. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on Wednesday overturned the masking orders taken by at least 15 local governments across the state, including Atlanta.
“We are still playing politics with this Covid virus after all of this, which is shocking and disturbing,” he said.
The state has imposed a travel advisory in 22 states where cases are increasing, directing travelers from those states to remain in quarantine for 14 days once they arrive in New York. Cuomo said the state has seen a 92% compliance rate with people completing forms that disclose their travel plans at airports, although he said that does not mean they have complied with the quarantine.
“We don’t follow up with everyone because the numbers are too high, but we do random checks according to that form,” Cuomo said. “It’s like any other law, right? You can speed up, yes, but if you get caught, you get the ticket.”
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