Hudson Valley On Track For More Coronavirus Restrictions

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — With rising coronavirus cases, communities across the Hudson Valley are on track for more restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned Monday.

Yellow zones announced last week in Westchester County are on track to be upgraded to orange or red, meaning even tighter restrictions would be imposed, Cuomo said during a news briefing. The communities are New Rochelle, Ossining, Peekskill, Port Chester, Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow and Yonkers.

Yellow zones announced last week in New Windsor and Newburgh in Orange County are on track to become orange zones. Brewster in Putnam County is on track to become a yellow zone.

Under the state's guidance for yellow zones, non-residential gatherings are restricted to 25 people indoors and outdoors, and residential gatherings are capped at 10 indoors and outdoors. Houses of worship are limited to half capacity, and restaurants must limit tables to no more than four patrons. Schools can remain open, but must test 20 percent of in-person students and faculty per week.

In orange zones, residential and non-residential gatherings are limited to 10 people. Houses of worship are limited to 33 percent capacity or 25 people. Certain high-risk, nonessential businesses, including gyms, fitness centers and classes, barber shops, hair salons, personal care services, are closed. Outdoor dining is limited to four people maximum per table and bars and restaurants must close at 10 p.m. Schools must close but may reopen if they follow guidelines that require cleaning, mass testing and exposure screening conducted daily.

In red zones, gatherings are prohibited, houses of worship are limited to 10 people, nonessential businesses are closed, and restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery. Schools must close but may reopen if they follow guidelines that require cleaning, mass testing and exposure screening conducted daily.

Coronavirus positivity rates continued to go up in the Hudson Valley on Sunday.

The warning comes as New York overall has seen hospitalizations increase 122 percent over three weeks. Cuomo warned that the state is on track to reach 6,000 hospitalizations in three weeks even without the expected uptick in spread due to holiday gatherings. That could mean daily deaths back up to over 100, he said.

"These are dangerous times that we are in," Cuomo told reporters Monday.

He urged people to avoid gatherings during the holiday season.

"This Thanksgiving is more special, it has a deeper meaning," he said. "This has been a horrific year where we have seen the worst in a generation, and we have also seen the best. Think of Thanksgiving as a time to really give thanks to the people who really did phenomenal things. All the doctors and nurses, first responders, essential workers, all the people who went out and shopped for their neighbors ... every person who wears a mask, be thankful for them that they care enough to do it."

SEE ALSO

• 4 New Micro-Cluster Zones Designated In Orange County
• 5 Westchester Communities Added To Coronavirus Micro-Cluster Zone
• Putnam Pandemic: 160 Active Cases Reported