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Coronavirus in N.Y.: Live Updates Coronavirus in N.Y.: Live Updates
(about 2 hours later)
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Saturday said the state would allow horse racing tracks and the Watkins Glen International auto racing track to open without fans on June 1, opening the door for televised events at those venues. Although New York City beaches will not open as usual by Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city would still be monitoring them in order to prevent crowding among people who do go there.
“We can have economic activity without having a crowd, that’s great,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We can do that in this state. But no crowds, no fans.” “No swimming. No parties. No sports. No gatherings,” Mr. de Blasio said at his daily news conference on Sunday. “We’re going to give people chance to get it right.”
“Remember, the problem here are crowds and gatherings,” he said. When city beaches are not officially open, lifeguards are not on duty and swimming is prohibited, but people are allowed onto the sand. With temperatures rising in the region, the mayor said the city would continue to treat the coming days as a typical off-season. “If someone from the local community wants to walk on the beach, that’s OK,” he said. “We’re going to let that happen for now.”
With the coronavirus’s grip on the region easing, Mr. Cuomo’s announcement paved the way for events to begin at tracks, including Belmont Park on Long Island, which hosts the Belmont Stakes. Watkins Glen International is an annual stop for NASCAR, which is set to resume its top series in South Carolina on Sunday. The city is preparing fencing, the mayor warned, to be used to “close off the beaches” in case there were widespread reports of people crowding and violating social distancing rules — though he praised residents’ behavior on and near the beaches so far. The mayor also said he did not want to see people traveling long distances to get to city beaches, especially to prevent crowding on public transportation.
The news came as beaches in four neighboring states — Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey and New York — prepared to formally open later this week.
Other developments from the mayor’s news conference:
City officials are investigating 137 cases of pediatric multisystem inflammatory syndrome, a rare and mysterious illness in children that appears linked to the coronarivus, Mr. de Blasio said. Of those 137 cases, 66 had tested positive for the virus or antibodies, he said.
One hundred newly trained contact tracers will begin working next week with people who tested positive at city hospitals, the mayor announced. Five hundred additional contract tracers have completed their training and will join the force soon, he said.
The city had a “good day but not a perfect day” in slowing the spread of the virus, the mayor said, with 469 Covid-19 patients in intensive care, down from 506 on May 14. The percentage of people testing positive for the virus was at 11 percent, down from 13 percent.
With warm weather arriving this weekend, New York City is again working to reduce crowds at parks in Brooklyn and Manhattan, including deploying police officers to limit access to the popular Sheep Meadow in Central Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.With warm weather arriving this weekend, New York City is again working to reduce crowds at parks in Brooklyn and Manhattan, including deploying police officers to limit access to the popular Sheep Meadow in Central Park, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
But the city would also “reset” its approach to enforcing social distancing, Mr. de Blasio said at his most recent daily briefing. Police officers would now focus on breaking up large gatherings, with the goal of avoiding giving summons, he said.But the city would also “reset” its approach to enforcing social distancing, Mr. de Blasio said at his most recent daily briefing. Police officers would now focus on breaking up large gatherings, with the goal of avoiding giving summons, he said.
The Police Department would also no longer be asked to enforce orders requiring people to wear face coverings if they cannot properly social distance, Mr. de Blasio said.The Police Department would also no longer be asked to enforce orders requiring people to wear face coverings if they cannot properly social distance, Mr. de Blasio said.
Sheep Meadow slowly began to fill with people early Saturday afternoon, with sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-70s. By about 2 p.m., police officers had decided to temporarily close off the entrance to the grassy expanse, telling parkgoers that it was too full.Sheep Meadow slowly began to fill with people early Saturday afternoon, with sunny weather and temperatures in the mid-70s. By about 2 p.m., police officers had decided to temporarily close off the entrance to the grassy expanse, telling parkgoers that it was too full.
For New Yorkers, a refreshing dip at one of the city’s storied beaches has long been a staple of summer and a vital source of relief from the heat. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Saturday said the state would allow horse racing tracks and the Watkins Glen International auto racing track to open without fans on June 1, opening the door for televised events at those venues.
But those beloved strips of sand will not be the same this summer. “We can have economic activity without having a crowd, that’s great,” Mr. Cuomo said. “We can do that in this state. But no crowds, no fans.”
While many beaches across the Northeast are set to open by Memorial Day weekend, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Friday that opening the city’s 14 miles of public beaches by then was “not in the cards,” and that they would stay closed until officials were confident they could be used without a serious risk of beachgoers spreading the coronavirus. “Remember, the problem here are crowds and gatherings,” he said.
The mayor warned that beach crowds could too easily violate strict social distancing rules, and another consideration is that the beaches are mostly accessible by bus and subway, where crowds of people could also spread the virus. With the coronavirus’s grip on the region easing, Mr. Cuomo’s announcement paved the way for events to begin at tracks, including Belmont Park on Long Island, which hosts the Belmont Stakes. Watkins Glen International is an annual stop for NASCAR, which is set to resume its top series in South Carolina on Sunday.
Coming up with a safe plan to eventually open the beaches “is going to be a daunting task,” said Henry A. Garrido, executive director of the municipal union District Council 37, which represents parks workers. For almost two months, much of daily life has been halted in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut as officials sought to bring the coronavirus outbreak under control.
“You’ve had people cooped up for months and you’re going to have more people than ever coming to the beach,” he said. “But there is a way to control the crowds.” But with the virus showing signs of retreat, officials across the region have turned their attention to reviving the economies of their states.
The decision on the city’s beaches, which can attract an estimated one million people on a hot day, drew criticism for how it might disproportionately affect New Yorkers who are unable to afford second homes, cars or even air conditioning. This week and next will offer some of the first crucial tests of whether those plans will work and a window into what “normal” life may be like in the months ahead.
Adrian Benepe, the city’s parks commissioner from 2002 to 2012, said closing beaches wouldn’t prevent everyone from dipping into the water on hot days. Here is a look at what types of businesses, services and public places are expected to reopen, and when, in each of the three states:
“People will do whatever it takes to get cool,” Mr. Benepe said. “And if you don’t open the beaches in some modified manner, they will go there anyway, requiring much more expensive resources to keep them out of the water.” On March 20, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo issued an executive order putting New York “on pause.” Under the 10-point plan, all of nonessential businesses had to close by the evening of March 22. Mr. Cuomo extended the order once in April, and again on Thursday for a majority of New Yorkers.
Fishing charters and other boating rental services can open for business on Sunday morning, Governor Philip D. Murphy announced on Saturday, further paving the way for the state to open the Jersey Shore. On Friday, five of the state’s 10 regions became eligible to begin “phase one” of the state’s reopening plan. The five regions are:
The announcement came two days after Mr. Murphy signed an order allowing beaches, boardwalks and lakeshores to open by Memorial Day weekend, the traditional start of the busy season for beaches in the region. the Finger Lakes, including Rochester
Mr. Murphy said charters and boat rental shops must enforce social distancing and maintain customer logs to help state officials with contact tracing, if necessary. the Southern Tier, which borders Pennsylvania
the Mohawk Valley, west of Albany
the North Country, which includes the Adirondack Mountains.
and Central New York, which includes Syracuse
The following types of businesses can resume in those regions, provided that certain public health measures are in place:
Construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade.
Some retail businesses — including those that sell clothing, electronics, furniture, books, sporting goods, shoes, flowers, jewelry and other types of goods — may open for curbside service only.
Other activities that are allowed include drive-in movies, landscaping and gardening businesses and “low-risk recreational activities” like tennis, a sport with built-in social distancing.
As of Wednesday, elective surgeries were allowed in 47 New York counties; state court officials said this week that judges and staff members would begin returning to courthouses in 30 upstate counties on May 20.
State residents have been mostly required to stay at home under an executive order in effect since March 21. Gov. Phillip D. Murphy’s order makes exceptions for trips to visit businesses considered essential: getting takeout food restaurants, procuring medical services or to meet other urgent demands.
Mr. Murphy said this week that under a new executive order, some nonessential businesses would be allowed to resume operations at various points this month. Among the changes:
All retail stores in the state can begin offering curbside pickup of goods starting Monday; nonessential construction projects can also restart at 6 a.m. that day.
Drive-in movies, religious services and other gatherings will be allowed as long as people stay in their cars.
Officials allowed parks and golf courses to reopen on May 2.
Most Connecticut residents have been under orders to stay at home as much as possible since mid-March. But the state has not been hit quite as hard by the virus as New York and New Jersey, and officials envision what amounts to a broader, faster reopening.
Officials announced earlier this month that restaurants, offices, retail establishments and hair salons would be allowed to open on May 20 at 50 percent capacity with proper health precautions in place.
More specifically:
Restaurants will be open for outdoor dining only; menus will need to be disposable or posted on boards; and silverware must be packaged or rolled.
Offices can open but companies have been advised to encourage employees to continue to working from home.
Retail businesses are required to close fitting rooms, create physical barriers at checkout and install markers that indicate six feet of distance.
Hair salons can open, but can see customers by appointment only and must close their waiting areas.
Connecticut officials have also said that colleges and universities in the state can reopen in stages over the summer and fall and that summer camps are on track to begin in late June.
As The New York Times follows the spread of the coronavirus across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, we need your help. We want to talk to doctors, nurses, lab technicians, respiratory therapists, emergency services workers, nursing home managers — anyone who can share what’s happening in the region’s hospitals and other health care centers.As The New York Times follows the spread of the coronavirus across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, we need your help. We want to talk to doctors, nurses, lab technicians, respiratory therapists, emergency services workers, nursing home managers — anyone who can share what’s happening in the region’s hospitals and other health care centers.
A reporter or editor may contact you. Your information will not be published without your consent.A reporter or editor may contact you. Your information will not be published without your consent.
Reporting was contributed by Maria Cramer, Corey Kilgannon, Andrea Salcedo, Edgar Sandoval and Alex Traub. Reporting was contributed by Maria Cramer, Corey Kilgannon, Sharon Otterman, Azi Paybarah, Andrea Salcedo, Edgar Sandoval and Alex Traub.