Gov: Sic NYPD on COVID scofflaws
Gov. Cuomo on Sunday demanded the NYPD do more to enforce social-distancing rules, as he announced that bars and restaurants in Queens had received the bulk of violations a day earlier.
State Police and the State Liquor Authority “are continuing to try to fill the vacuum left by local enforcement” in parts of the state, he told reporters.
Authorities handed out 26 violations to venues on Saturday for breaking coronavirus rules, including 16 in Queens, one in The Bronx, two in Brooklyn, five in Manhattan and two in Nassau County.
“Come on, Queens,” the governor chided.
“We need the NYPD to step up and help in New York City. We need local governments across the board to also be doing their job,” he added.
Still, Cuomo said the state had hit its lowest rate of positive coronavirus test results recorded over a one-day period since the start of the pandemic.
Of the 65,812 COVID-19 tests conducted statewide on Saturday, only .78 percent came back positive, Cuomo said — lower than the 1 percent rate the state had been hovering around.
“It’s great news,” the governor said. “Really incredible achievement by New Yorkers.”
The infection rate is well below the 5 percent threshold recommended by the World Health Organization for general reopening and adopted by the state.
The state also recorded seven coronavirus fatalities on Saturday, bringing its death toll to 25,202.
Cuomo said 548 people are hospitalized with the virus statewide, with 131 in intensive care, “the lowest number we’ve had in ICU since we started” in March.
Addressing the reopening of schools, Cuomo repeated guidelines he issued on Friday stating that all districts must set dates for three to five virtual discussions with parents before Aug. 21 and also have one separate consultation with teachers alone.
The state Education Department is going through reopening plans from the state’s 700 districts, including a supplemental plan submitted by New York City, and will have a status update ready by Monday, Cuomo said.