Restaurants could face more restrictions if the Covid-19 hospitalization rate isn’t stabilized or reduced, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Monday.
“If after 5 days a region’s hospital rate has not stabilized, indoor dining will close or be reduced. In New York City, indoor dining would close entirely. In the rest of the state, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity,” Cuomo said. Restaurants on Long Island are currently limited to 50 percent capacity.
Total COVID hospitalizations are at 4,602 as of Monday; Of the 152,287 tests reported. Another 7,302 were positive (4.79% of total). And another 80 New Yorkers died.
Cuomo directed the New York State Department of Health to begin implementing the state’s “surge and flex” protocol and mandate all hospitals begin expanding their bed capacity by 25 percent to further prepare hospitals for a future COVID-19 surge. Hospitals had previously been preparing plans for this action as part of New York’s Winter COVID Plan.
Suffolk County Steve Bellone added Monday that the county’s “infection rate remains above 6 percent once again, and this week we saw four straight days of new cases over 1,000. To put this in perspective, during the height of the pandemic this spring, Suffolk County only saw 12 days over 1,000 new cases.
“I cannot stress enough the dangers posed by small indoor gatherings. Just because you are in your home with people you trust does not mean you are safe. If we don’t change our behaviors quickly our hospital system will be at risk of being overwhelmed and we will lose more lives.”
Cuomo spoke with Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, by videoconference, about the state’s plans and called on retired doctors and nurses to return to service to find the epidemic.
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