Health & Fitness
Harlem Is No Longer A 'Yellow Zone' As Cuomo Abolishes Policy
While the governor's "cluster zone" may have scarcely been scarcely noticed, Upper Manhattan has finally been freed from the restriction.
HARLEM, NY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday he was rescinding the policy that classified five areas in New York as "cluster zones" due to elevated coronavirus rates — including a section of Harlem.
Cuomo established the "yellow zone" last November, saying much of Upper Manhattan would face added restrictions for businesses in an effort to counteract the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the neighborhood.
The governor's office mapped the zone from 133rd to 187th Streets between Hudson River and the East River to the north, before narrowing along St. Nicholas Avenue further south.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
"Upper Manhattan is going to become a yellow zone. Basically, the Washington Heights area is 3.3," Cuomo told reporters on Nov. 23, referring to the percentage of coronavirus tests that came back positive that week within that zone.
No major changes came with the new designation. Under the state's guidance for yellow zones, indoor and outdoor dining were limited to four people per table, houses of worship were restricted to 50 percent capacity, and non-residential gatherings were capped at 25 people.
Find out what's happening in Harlemfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
In January, Cuomo lifted most yellow zones across the state, citing dropping virus rates, but kept the one in Upper Manhattan and others in the Bronx and Queens. Restaurant owners in Queens complained to NY1 last month about the continued limits, saying the customers-per-table rule was hurting business.
On Friday, as part of an announcement that indoor dining could expand to 75 percent capacity, Cuomo's office said it was doing away with the cluster zones entirely, "in light of New York State's progress against the COVID-19 pandemic."
Throughout the pandemic, Harlem, Washington Heights and Inwood have posted some of the highest coronavirus positivity rates of any Manhattan neighborhoods.
As of Friday, the seven-day positivity rates in all eight Harlem ZIP codes stood between 1.07 and 3.04 percent. In late November, by contrast, they ranged between 2.95 and 5.28 percent.
Patch reporter Gus Saltonstall contributed.
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