Gov Andrew Cuomo fumes over disregard of social distancing norms in New York
Jun 16, 2020
New York [USA], June 16 : As scores of New Yorkers are seen disregarding the COVID-19 social distancing norms, city governor Andrew M. Cuomo has threatened to shut down the city.
New York City, the hardest-hit in the United States' had eased some of its coronavirus restrictions last week, scores of complaints have been received by the authorities against violation the norms set to curb the widespread illness, The Washington Post reported.
"Don't make me come down there ..." New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo (D) wrote on Twitter on Saturday, responding to a video of the maskless masses.
"I understand it's not popular. Nobody wants to go to a sidewalk with people drinking and say, 'You people can't drink on the sidewalk,'" Cuomo said at a news conference Sunday.
"You know what's more unpopular? If that region closes because that local government did not do their job."
According to the US daily, Cuomo's office has received over 25,000 complaints about health-safety violations since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Cuomo has said that the bulk of them calling out restaurants and bars in Manhattan and the Hamptons on Long Island.
Back in April, when New York State hit the peak of COVID-19, a single-day death toll had exceeded 800 people. The state has now reached the lowest number of deaths on a 3-day average, with 25 lives lost to the invisible enemy on June 14.
As things are unfolding, the governor Cuomo appears to be taking no chances and shutting down establishments in Austin, Phoenix, and St. Petersburg, Fla., after bartenders tested positive for the virus,
Recently, a spokesperson for New York's City Hall told The Washington Post that local bars and eateries are allowed to be open under the governor's guidelines.
City businesses, allowed to operate under the current phase, also help people to keep a safe distance from each other. Shops with curbside pick up, cafes and manufacturing companies have marked the floor to map out the distance customers and employees have to stay apart.
"We must balance safety with people's need to reopen their businesses," the spokesperson said. "We don't believe imprisoning people or taking away their livelihood is the answer."
The spokesperson further said that 'social distancing ambassadors' from local law enforcement agencies had been passing out face coverings and dispersing crowds over the weekend.
Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer (D) said she was "tremendously concerned about any spread." "All it takes is one person," Brewer added.
On Sunday, the governor said he had phoned several bars and restaurants after seeing pictures of crowds outside their storefronts with takeout food saying that, if it will continue, they could lose their licenses.
"We are not kidding around with this," he said. "You're talking about jeopardizing people's lives."
