Andrew Cuomo Warns New Yorkers to Limit Social Gatherings: ‘Those Numbers Go Up … the Region Will Close Down’

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) warned New Yorkers on Monday to limit their social gatherings to curb the spread of the Chinese coronavirus, stating that increased infections, resulting in lower hospital capacity, will trigger regions to close down.

Cuomo provided an update on Monday, stressing the importance of sufficient hospital capacity, categorizing it as the “redline.”

“You are limited ultimately to your hospital capacity,” he said, noting that no region, currently, has less than 30 percent capacity. When any region gets within “striking distance” of 15 percent, it is “going to be a red zone, closed down for that region,” the New York governor said.

“If the infection rate increases, then the region closes. And that’s the last thing anybody wants. So if you don’t want that, then don’t bemoan reality,” he said, urging New Yorkers to “do something about it.”

“Be smart and reduce the infection rate,” he said.

“How do we defeat COVID? We defeat COVID the way we been controlling COVID for the past year,” he continued, contending that it is a “function of our activity” while defending his plea for New Yorkers to avoid social gatherings whenever possible.

“It is the social gatherings. I know people say, ‘How can you say we shouldn’t gather socially?’ I understand. We are social beings. I understand the hospitals. But it’s how you do it. It’s how you do it,” he repeated.

“Are you safe? Are you doing as much as you can outdoors? Are you wearing a mask? Are you keeping windows open? Are you keeping the crowds small? It’s being smart. That is all this is,” he continued.

“It is a virus. You’ve all had someone in the house with a virus. You know how the virus spreads. And it’s a consequence of being smart and being responsible. Those numbers go up, you overload the hospitals, the region will close down,” he warned, later reiterating that health officials have advised keeping social gatherings limited to immediate households or groups no larger than ten.

The majority of the spread, he added, stems from social activity — small gatherings, specifically.  Cuomo said everything short of that has been regulated, noting that “the vaccine is the weapon that will win the war.”

Across the Empire State, 774,075 vaccines have been distributed, with 236,941 receiving the first dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) data, last updated January 2.

Cuomo has continually pushed social distancing, limited gatherings, and mask-wearing throughout the pandemic, though the bulk of states that have experienced virus spikes have been implementing such measures, particularly masks, for months.

In November, Dr. Anthony Fauci suggested that masks and social distancing will still be necessary even after getting vaccinated.