New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Thursday announced a ban on gatherings larger than 500 people as officials in New York State continue to implement measures to prepare for and combat the outbreak of the Chinese coronavirus.
Cuomo announced on Thursday the ban on gatherings of over 500 people, which will take effect Friday at 5:00 p.m. EST. The ban, however, will begin a day earlier for Broadway theaters, with the ban going into effect Thursday at 5:00 p.m. EST. Cuomo also added they are reducing the legal capacity of facilities with an occupancy of 500 or fewer by 50 percent:
“We must plan for every contingency & we are taking measures to create a reserve workforce of health care professionals in the event of a staffing shortage,” Cuomo continued.
“We are identifying potential reserve staff now, incl. National Guard medics, medical school staff, former drs/nurses & more,” he added:
Cuomo’s update comes as the state moves to grapple with the virus. The Empire State had 216 confirmed cases statewide as of Wednesday afternoon, per the state’s Department of Health. Fifty-two of those cases are in New York City. Mayor Bill de Blasio on Thursday announced public school closures for “two schools in the Bronx that share a building.”
Cuomo said on Thursday that the state now has 328 confirmed cases of the virus.
New Rochelle has been hit particularly hard, and the rules for Cuomo’s two-week “containment zone” — covering a one-mile radius in the city — go into effect today.
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