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NEW YORK: New York City said on Tuesday (September 29) that it would fine anyone caught in public without a mask, and Walt Disney Co announced plans to lay off about 28,000 employees as its resorts grapple with the fall of the number of visitors due to coronavirus. pandemic.
More than 205,000 people have died in the United States and nearly 7.2 million people have been infected since the pandemic began, according to a Reuters tally.
At Disney, about two-thirds of employees facing layoffs are part-time workers, the company said in a statement.
“We have made the very difficult decision to begin the process of reducing our workforce in our Parks, Experiences and Products segment at all levels,” Josh D’Amaro, president of Disney’s parks unit, said in a statement.
In New York, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city will fine people up to $ 1,000 for refusing to wear a mask in public, as the rate of positive tests for the new coronavirus rose above 3 percent percent. first time in months.
“We don’t want to fine people, but if necessary, we will,” de Blasio said. City police and health department officials, among others, will enforce the fines, he said.
City officials will first offer free masks to those who are caught not wearing one in public. If the person refuses, they will face an unspecified fine, de Blasio told reporters.
A similar policy was imposed earlier this month by the state-controlled Metropolitan Transportation Authority, under which commuters who refuse to wear a mask on public transportation face a $ 50 fine.
The mayor blamed the recent spike in part on nine zip codes out of 146 that city health officials say have seen a worrying rise in cases, including several tight-knit Hasidic Jewish communities, and warned that some areas could receive the order to close businesses or schools. if the numbers don’t improve.
NYC SCHOOLS COULD CLOSE AGAIN
De Blasio’s announcement came as many elementary school students returned to public schools for the first time on Tuesday, an effort to provide a combination of in-person and virtual learning that had been delayed twice amid opposition from the unions. of teachers.
READ: COVID-19 Cases Among Young Adults in US Increased 55% in August: CDC
The city has said it will close schools again if the seven-day average reaches 3 percent or more.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday raised the possibility of stopping indoor dining again or reimposing other economic restrictions.
“I don’t think we are about to roll back anything,” he told a news conference. “If local governments don’t comply and attack the clusters, you will be there in the short term future.
Cuomo, who has clashed with de Blasio over who has the authority to impose or relax the containment measures, said he would meet this week with leaders of Orthodox Jewish communities in Brooklyn, as well as Nassau, Orange and Rockland counties, where infections have also increased.
Beyond New York state, 28 other states saw increases in new coronavirus infections over the past two weeks, and COVID-19 hospitalizations increased in several Midwestern states.
Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota and Wisconsin have reported record numbers of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in the past seven days. On Monday, North Dakota reported 105 hospitalizations and Wisconsin 640.
The Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings professional soccer teams suspended their activities after some members of the Titans tested positive for COVID-19 after a game Sunday, according to statements from the National Football League and the teams.
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