New York City mayor wants all schools, nonessential business closed in 9 hot zones
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has requested to close down schools and nonessential businesses, including dining, in nine zip codes within the five boroughs that have seen a recent rise in coronavirus cases.
The mayor sent the proposal to the New York state government on Sunday.
New York state has already moved forward to close schools without testing and nonessential businesses in violation of the law in those zip codes that have seen a rise in cases, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Sunday.
The state is taking over from local governments in hot spots, which Cuomo said "have not done an effective job of enforcement." There are currently 20 hot spot zip codes in the state, Cuomo told reporters during a press conference.
On Friday, after the state's daily count of new cases topped 1,500 for the first time in May, Cuomo warned local governments that they would face fines if social distancing and mask rules were not enforced.
Hot spots are responsible for 21% of the new cases in New York, Cuomo said. Without the hot spot zip codes, the positivity rate in New York would be about .9%, he added. Fourteen people died in the state on Saturday.
The state will close businesses hot spots where the local governments cannot enforce compliance as well as close schools where localities are not performing testing, Cuomo said.
"Without testing we can't assure parents and teachers of the safety of that school," Cuomo said.
Indoor dining was permitted to reopen in New York City on Wednesday at 25% capacity for the first time since it was shut down in March.
