More travel limits for N.Y.
DC, Puerto Rico join 34 states on quarantine list
Travelers from 34 states, as well as Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, must now quarantine for 14 days when they travel to New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.
Governors of New York and New Jersey announced Tuesday that Illinois, Minnesota, Puerto Rico and D.C. are now now on the list of states that face quarantine restrictions under a joint travel advisory issued last month.
The advisory includes states if their seven-day rolling average of positive tests exceeds 10%, or if
the number of positive cases exceeds 10 per 100,000 residents. The list has included Texas, California and Florida for weeks.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has expressed worry for weeks that infection rates in hardhit New York could once again rise because of travel from high-risk states.
New York hospitals saw over 18,000 patients with COVID-19 at a time in mid-April when infections surged and more than 750 COVID-19 patients died each day in hospitals and nursing homes.
Those figures plunged in May, and rates of hospitalizations and new positive COVID-19 cases have been relatively stable since June.
Cuomo said 0.93% of 57,000 tests conducted Monday were positive, and nursing homes and hospitals reported nine people with COVID-19 died.
State lawmakers are holding hearings about the impact of COVID-19 on New York, with Tuesday’s hearing focusing on higher education. Cuomo faces decisions on legislation addressing the pandemic passed by the state Senate and Assembly last week, including bills that address the expected surge in mail-in voting this fall by ensuring certain absentee ballots without a postmark are accepted and making it easier for voters to request absentee ballots earlier and fix deficient ballots.
The governor has said he’s concerned about reports of people failing to wear masks or stay 6 feet (2 meters) apart in populous New York City and Long Island.
The state has suspended the liquor licenses of an additional dozen, mostly Latin restaurants in several Queens neighborhoods — including Jackson Heights and Corona, both at the epicenter of the pandemic in New York City — as a result of Cuomo’s amped up enforcement.
Since late March, the Cuomo administration has suspended the liquor licenses of 45 businesses — with 25 in Queens or the Bronx.
“New Yorkers have worked hard to flatten the curve, but the bars and restaurants that ignore public health guidance are disrespecting their sacrifices which have saved lives while allowing us to sustain the reopening of our economy,” Cuomo said.
Cuomo to investigate crowded Chainsmokers concert
Cuomo said he is “appalled” by videos showing crowds standing close together at a Hamptons concert featuring electronic music duo The Chainsmokers over the weekend.
The governor said the state Department of Health will conduct an investigation into “egregious social distancing violations.” Cuomo warned in a Tuesday call with reporters that violations of public health law can result in civil fines and a potential for criminal liability.
“We have no tolerance for the illegal reckless endangerment of public health,” reads the governor’s Monday night tweet.
The Saturday night concert — called “Safe & Sound” — was billed as a charity drive-in show in Southampton where Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon and Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman’s band also performed.
Cuomo questioned why local law enforcement didn’t break up that was “out of control and all the rules were being violated.” He said the state’s investigation will look at the role of local leaders and reports of “ongoing” violations in the village of Southampton.
Cuomo shared a social media video, which has over 6 million views, that showed crowds of people standing and swaying near the stage. The video shows attendees who appeared to be wearing masks, but many individuals were standing closer than 6 feet.
The governor’s criticism comes as he argues local governments largely in downstate New York have failed to enforce social distancing and mask rules. State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker chided Schneiderman in a Monday letter and questioned how Southampton could have issued a permit for an event that posed a public health threat.
The concert’s organizers, In the Know Experiences, didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment by email and phone Tuesday. Schneiderman’s office didn’t immediately make him available for interview.