Governor Andrew Cuomo has warned of possible new coronavirus restrictions as early as Monday, if hospitalization rates continue to soar.
The state is putting more emphasis on monitoring hospitalizations in addition to infection rates region-by-region in deciding what lockdown restrictions are necessary to control the pandemic. Cuomo says if the seven-day infection rate is projected to continue for three weeks and hospitals reach 90 percent of their capacity, then businesses in the affected area need to shut down.
Cuomo was joined in a briefing by Dr. Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The governor said restaurants already operating at half capacity could be forced to cut back again unless infection and hospitalization rates slow down. That would reduce them from 50 to 25 percent occupancy.
Cuomo says the Thanksgiving surge means those restrictions are likely statewide next week.