Should New York Lock Down? [POLL]

NEW YORK — According to Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office, the numbers of new coronavirus infections continue to increase. The rate of positivity reported for Thursday — for the entire state, including the micro-cluster zones — was 3.72 percent, up from 3.18 percent from Wednesday.

For all the micro-cluster zones, the number is up to 5.69 percent Thursday from Wednesday's 4.9 percent.

"All the global experts say the same thing: This virus has phases, and as the phase changes your plan should change," Cuomo said in a news release.

"We're seeing an increase with the numbers across the country and within our own state," he said. "It started with the fall, and it's going to continue and probably worsen in the winter."

Cuomo said that, while we go through the holidays and winter months, it will be more imperative for people in New York to wear face masks, wash their hands and avoid large and small gatherings.

Portions of Nassau, Suffolk, Orange, Rockland and Westchester counties had micro-cluster zones imposed.

Only Port Chester in Westchester County is in an orange zone. The others fall under yellow-zone restrictions.

Yellow-zone rules include a 25-person maximum for mass gatherings, no more than four people to a table while dining, and 20 percent weekly testing of in-person students and faculty in schools.

Orange-zone rules include a 10-person max for mass gatherings, takeout or outdoor dining only with a four-person max at each table, the closing of high-risk nonessential businesses and schools having remote-only learning.

How the state will approach houses of worship in the wake of the Supreme Court ruling barring the state from enforcing certain limits on attendance in micro-cluster zones has yet to be determined.

In any event, medical experts are saying the coronavirus pandemic will probably get worse during the coming holidays.

There were 2,100 deaths reported in the United States for both Tuesday and Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving, according to CNN. The country hasn't seen a number that large since April.

Dr. Leana Wen, of George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health, said the promising news of vaccines is countered by the fact that they won't be widely available until spring or summer.

"They're not going to make a difference right now," she told CNN.

The latest news from Los Angeles was announced Friday with health officials issuing a temporary and limited stay-at-home order that will take effect Monday and last for three weeks, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Los Angeles County health officials said the restrictions were not as harsh as during the spring and they advised residents to stay home as much as possible and always use a face mask when outside their homes.

The order also says there can be no public or private gatherings with people not in the same household, with an exception for religious services and protests.

So now it's your turn to weigh in on the issue. Vote in our unscientific poll and tell us what you think in the comments.