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New York lockdown: Andrew Cuomo limits social gatherings to private homes, Internet mocks '10 pm closing time'

After issuing the statewide order, Cuomo has said that anybody who doesn’t comply with the new regulations will be ordered to shut down

New Yorkers have begun to express concern after the new orders by Governor Andrew Cuomo to shut down certain public spaces at night and limit the number of people in private gatherings at home. It was issued on Wednesday, November 11, after a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in New York and its neighboring cities. After issuing the statewide order, Cuomo has said that anybody who doesn’t comply with the new regulations will be ordered to shut down, reports DailyMail. He announced that gyms and businesses serving alcohol must close by 10 pm. Businesses with a liquor license must also abide by the early closing timings, however, can offer curbside food delivery. Effective Friday, November 13, all the establishments need to follow the new timings. 

"If you look at where the cases are coming from, if you do the contact tracing, you'll see they're coming from three main areas: establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes," Como said. He further stated, "The reason we have been successful in reducing the spread in New York is we have been a step ahead of Covid-19. You know where it's going; stop it before it gets there. And you know where it's going by following the science."

According to CNN, the focus zones in New York state include part of Brooklyn, Queens, Rockland and Westchester counties. Cuomo said at the press conference, "If the national numbers are going up, and the states around you are going up, be prepared.”

The governor shared the latest Covid-19 infections report on his Twitter handle on November 11. He wrote in the first post, consisting of a graph showing the surge in the positive cases. He wrote in the caption, "Today's update on the numbers: Of the 164,300 tests reported yesterday, 4,820 were positive (2.93% of total). Total hospitalizations are at 1,628. Sadly, there were 21 Covid-19 fatalities yesterday." 

He shared in another tweet, "The test positivity rate in the focus areas under NY's Micro-Cluster strategy is 4.96%. The statewide positivity rate excluding these focus areas is 2.58%. We continue to take strong action to respond to outbreaks and to stop the spread. Mask Up."

People from New York and others have shared mixed opinions about the enforcement of new rules. While some have called out for Cuomo for limiting gathering within the residence, the rest are worried about the impact of the shutdown on businesses, which are already hard-hit by the ongoing global pandemic. And, some are preparing for the lockdown while agreeing with the governor's new orders as the COVID-19 cases are rising by the day in New York. 

One user wrote, "How can they limit family gatherings? That guy is nuts. People will be more non-compliant and things will spread worse.I finally was allowed to see my mother who lives in an assisted living facility two weeks ago after it being on lockdown since March. Some of this stuff is crazy." Another added, "@NYGovCuomo. Hey Gov, restricting hours for gyms makes no sense, that means gym-goers who try to go at less busy hours are now compelled to go when busier or not at all, not in the same category as a bar. "

Meanwhile, some joked about the 10 PM deadline asking Cuomo is the virus wouldn't attack before the given time. One tweeted, "@NYGovCuomo. I’m glad we’ve told COVID it can’t hit the streets until 10 pm so all the workers risking their lives to serve people burrata can get home safe!" another wrote, "Yup, COVID is definitely more active after 10 pm. So happy that not only my own country is aware of the dangers of late-night COVID..."