Andrew Cuomo Scolds New Yorkers for Slacking Off on Social Distancing; Raises Fine to $1,000

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo criticized New York City residents on Monday at a press conference for failing to properly distance themselves socially to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

“People, especially in New York City, the level of activity is up,” Cuomo reported during his daily coronavirus press briefing.

He shared images of people gathering in close quarters around New York City over the weekend.

“Partially the weather … made it a nice day. I understand that people have been locked up for some time, but now is not the time to be lax,” he said. “It is a mistake.”

Cuomo urged local governments to do more to enforce social distancing rules and raise the fine for violating the protocols from $500 to $1,000.

“All the anecdotal evidence is people are violating it at a higher rate than before,” he said.

Cuomo cautioned all New Yorkers not to underestimate the threat posed by the virus.

“This is an enemy that we have underestimated from day one, and we have paid the price dearly,” he said.