Indoor and outdoor gatherings in private homes in New York state will be limited to 10 people, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
Covid-19 cases are rising in New York and neighboring states, and the move aims to curb traffic from more restricted states into New York, said Cuomo.
“If the national numbers are going up, and the states around you are going up, be prepared,” Cuomo said at the press conference.
New York reported 4,820 new Covid-19 cases and 21 deaths on Wednesday, according to a tweet from Cuomo.
Cuomo also reported that the statewide percent positivity rate, including what the state calls “micro cluster zones,” is 2.9 percent, while it is 2.5 percent without these micro cluster zones. The zones themselves are reporting a 4.9 percent positivity rate.
Focus zones in New York state include parts of Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland and Westchester counties. Recently, sections of Staten Island and Tioga County have reported more Covid-19 cases, upgrading their status to “yellow” focus zones.
Cuomo also announced that gyms and businesses serving alcohol must close by 10 p.m. effective Friday.
Businesses that have a liquor license must abide by the early closing time but can offer curbside delivery for food only, Cuomo said. He has called on local law enforcement to make sure businesses close by 10 p.m.
“If you look at where the cases are coming from, if you do the contact tracing, you’ll see they’re coming from three main areas: establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The reason we have been successful in reducing the spread in New York is we have been a step ahead of COVID. You know where it’s going; stop it before it gets there. And you know where it’s going by following the science.”
CNN’s Mirna Alsharif contributed to this report.
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