“I urge New Yorkers to wear masks, distance themselves socially and wash their hands, and local governments should continue to implement the state’s public health guidelines,” Cuomo said in a statement. “By being vigilant and smart, we will be able to beat COVID together.”
Once the U.S. After becoming the epicenter of an epidemic in New York, a test positivity rate – less than 1% for more than a month, increased the percentage of positive return tests for the virus. That rate fell 1% on Saturday as Cuomo reminded New Yorkers “we can’t leave our guard.”
Although the rate of positive tests is still lower than in other states, the Queens and Brooklyn neighborhoods are “continuing to grow at an alarming rate,” according to a news release from the city’s health department.
New York City’s public schools are returning to the classroom for the first time this week, but authorities may decide to close schools, limit gatherings and impose fines for not wearing masks.
“For the first time in the city’s recovery recovery period, these zip codes could be put into operation on an immediate basis if no progress is made by Monday evening,” the health department said last week.
States reach new heights
New York is not the only state to report miscalculations.
The Wisconsin Department of Health reported 2,817 new cases in its highest single-day case on Saturday. The previous record as of Sept. 18 was 2,533, according to the state Department of Health website.
Last week, the Wisconsin governor. Tony Evers issued an executive order mandating facial cover in an effort to keep the infection down. In a news release, his office attributed the rising number of cases mainly to infections among 18- to 24-year-olds, saying the state was facing “new and dangerous phases” of the epidemic.
“We need your help to stop the spread of this virus, and we must all do this together,” Evers said.
Florida, meanwhile, has more than 700,000 cases, though it’s one of 10 states to report fewer new cases this week than in the last 10. It includes Arizona, Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Vermont and Virginia.
The number of new cases reported is stable in 19 states. Twenty-one new cases were reported last week: Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, South Carolina, Utah. Washington, Washington State, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Authorities opposed the protest with all available police forces, special services and the army. “
To avoid a second surge, infectious disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fickey emphasized masking, distance and avoiding crowds. But officials have had to intervene as some large groups are about to gather.
On Friday evening, deputies from the New York City Sheriff’s Office Fees broke up the marriages of about 300 people in Queens, the office of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio told CNN. Both the owner and manager of the venue were given tickets for multiple misdemeanor offenses.
Marriages and other large social gatherings have led to many outbreaks of coronavirus cases in recent months, and authorities have focused on preventing these incidents and taking action against them.
A Maryland man was sentenced to one year in prison on Friday after two major parties were arrested in late March for violating state social distance rules, according to government Larry Hogan’s office, which banned gatherings of more than 10 people.
The man was arguing when about 50 people were asked to disperse his first party, the state attorney’s office said. And five days later, he organized another party of more than 200 people, which he refused to end, saying he had the right to gather and direct his guests to stay, according to a news release.
CNN’s Laura Lee, Sheena Jones, Anna Sturla, Dakin Andon and Chuck Johnston contributed to the report.