HELTER SHELTER

Blaz, Cuomo at odds over ‘quarantine’ for city

The state would guarantee job protection and pay for New Yorkers quarantined because of coronavirus under a deal between lawmakers announced by Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday.

The legislation, agreed to by Assembly and state Senate leaders, covers employees subject to mandatory or precautionary quarantine or isolation and includes a permanent paid sick leave policy. “The single most effective way to contain the spread of this virus is to ensure people who may have come into contact with it do not interact with others,” Cuomo said.

New York already guaranteed two weeks’ pay for state workers quarantined from the potentially deadly coronavirus.

“The paid sick leave measure we’ve agreed to today expands those protections to all New Yorkers — because no New Yorker should lose their job or income for following a critical public health order,” Cuomo said. Protections vary:

● Employers with 10 or fewer workers and a net income less than $1 million must provide job protection for the entire quarantine order. They must also give employees paid family leave and disability benefits for the whole of the quarantine, including wages up to $150,000

● Employers with 11 to 99 workers and those with 10 or fewer employees and a net income over $1 million must give at least five days’ paid sick leave and job protection for the entire quarantine order. They must also give workers paid family leave and disability benefits for the entire quarantine, including wages up to $150,000.

● Public employers of any size and private employers with 100 or more workers must give at least 14 days’ paid sick leave and job protections for the entire quarantine order.

● Employers with four workers or less and a net income of $1 million must give at least five days of unpaid sick leave a year.

● Employers with five to 99 workers that have a net income of $1 million must give at least five days’ paid sick leave.

Streets of Little Italy and rest of city are mostly deserted Tuesday. Mayor de Blasio was ready to order residents to shelter at home before Gov. Cuomo ruled against draconian measure.

Workers whose jobs are in jeopardy because of coronavirus would get some help from legislation agreed to by leaders in the Assembly and the state Senate.