Astoria Still 'Yellow Zone' As Cuomo Eases Most Restrictions

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Color-coded coronavirus cluster "zones" will disappear across the state, after a drop in COVID-19 cases following the post-holiday spike, but part of Astoria will still be subject to yellow-zone restrictions.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday he would eliminate nearly all of New York State's COVID-19 cluster zones and their associated restrictions. Among the five zones not included: the yellow zone that covers much of Astoria and extends into Central Queens.

Yellow "precautionary" zones are the third tier of Cuomo's cluster action initiative to tackle local coronavirus spikes, with orange zones bearing even tighter restrictions and red zones drawing the most severe measures.

Under the "yellow zone" designation, restaurants may offer indoor and outdoor dining with a maximum of four people per table, gatherings of up to 25 people are allowed and houses of worship can operate at 50-percent capacity. Schools must conduct 20-percent weekly testing of in-person students and faculty.

Also still under the yellow zone designation are Washington Heights and parts of The Bronx, Cuomo said Wednesday.

The section of Astoria north of 31st Avenue has been a "yellow zone" since November, after positivity rates surged. The the ZIP code 11105 at one point had New York City's third-highest rate of positive coronavirus tests.

Patch editor Matt Troutman contributed to this report.