This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Monday, October 19th, 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.
New York City is in Phase 4 of reopening now, which includes zoos, botanical gardens, museums, and gyms. Certain parts of Brooklyn and Queens are under a zoned shutdown. A look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.
Here's the latest:
12:17 p.m.: Coronavirus restrictions in some parts of Brooklyn and Queens could last a "few more weeks," Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.
But the mayor also said that COVID-19 cases in Central Queens have declined and suggested that restrictions there could be lifted or revised sometime this week.
"I'd say overall those communities need a little more time," de Blasio said during a Monday press conference. "The one that's been where we've seen the most progress is Central Queens. We'll be talking with the state about that over the next few days."
"I think it's going to be a few more weeks in most areas," de Blasio added.
The mayor said he had a phone call with Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday and anticipated "action later on this week" on the zones with restrictions, he said.
Ultimately, any changes would be decided by Cuomo, who said he would make an announcement on Wednesday about changes to the state's three-tiered zone system, which also includes Binghamton and two areas in Rockland and Orange counties.
The city is now entering the second week of zoned restrictions. Those in the so-called red zone, which are areas with the most cases, face the most restrictions, with non-essential businesses prohibited from operating. Schools in both orange and red zones have been closed, though some private schools in predominantly Hasidic parts of Borough Park continue to openly flout the shutdown order.
During a call with reporters on Monday, Cuomo said state officials were working on coming up with targeted infection rates and case levels for affected areas.
"We had target numbers for the first phases, which were region-wide," he said. "We're working on similar guidelines for these red zones."
"It's not just a number," he said, about the criteria for lifting restrictions. "It's a number and a set of circumstances."
De Blasio, meanwhile, encouraged residents in red and orange zones across Brooklyn and Queens to get tested for coronavirus.
"Let's get a true picture of the community and the reality," de Blasio said.
Citywide, cases have been "leveling off," as de Blasio has been describing it. There were 471 new positive COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 79 below the 550-case threshold that would trigger a response.
The daily positivity rate was 2.17% in NYC, while the seven-day rolling average positivity rate is 1.62%.
Seventy-six people were hospitalized for COVID symptoms or COVID-19, still below the city's 200-person warning threshold.
Vehicles exit the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City, New Jersey.
NJ Reports More Than 1,200 COVID Cases, Viral Spread A "Statewide Reality"
New Jersey on Sunday recorded 1,283 new coronavirus cases, marking the second highest daily total for the state in nearly five months.
The state has been battling what appeared to be contained outbreaks in Monmouth and Ocean Counties, but on Friday Governor Phil Murphy warned that the number of COVID-19 cases were now rising across the state.
“There may be hot spots here or there but we're dealing with a statewide reality right now,” he said.
The growing crisis in New Jersey poses a new challenge for Governor Andrew Cuomo and health officials who have said that any states with more than 10 cases per 100,000 residents or those with a 10% or higher test positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average would be placed under a 14-day quarantine order.
Back in June, Governors Cuomo and Murphy, along with Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont announced the quarantine rule as part of a tri-state pact to coordinate their coronavirus response policies.
As of Sunday, there are 912 new daily cases over a seven-day rolling average in New Jersey. That meets the criteria of more than 10 cases per 100,000 residents, which is 888 new daily cases, according to NJ.com. Given that the number is still close, New York officials could be waiting to see how long the number stays above that level.
Massachusetts added New Jersey to its quarantine list on October 2nd.
Currently, New York's quarantine watch list contains 38 states and U.S. territories. Violators face potential fines ranging from $2,000 to $10,000. To date, however, only one traveler has been issued a summons for failing to quarantine.
Under New York's order, the quarantine only applies to travelers spending 24 hours or more in the state, which should exclude most of the workforce commuting from across the river. The quarantine also does not apply to essential workers, which include a broad swath of industries, from healthcare and food to the financial services sector.
Still, the appearance of New Jersey on the quarantine list would indicate the virus's resurgence in the Northeast, where cases have been climbing back up after a steady decline during the summer.
“Frankly, the conclusion I draw is don’t travel, don’t travel unless you have to," Murphy said, during a briefing in Trenton on Thursday. “We’re not going to spend a lot of time complaining about whether or not we’re on somebody’s list. We’re going to spend all our time working to get our numbers down.”
