New York bans gatherings of 500 or more people
Photo/Mark Nash
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Gov. Andrew Cuomo has banned gatherings of 500 or more people in response to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus in New York state.
The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has spread to at least 100 countries, infected over 125,000 people and killed over 4,600.
The New York State Department of Health confirmed 216 cases of COVID-19 as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. There are currently no confirmed cases in Onondaga County. Cuomo declared a state of emergency Saturday in response to the virus’ spread.
The ban goes into effect Friday at 5 p.m., Cuomo said in a tweet Thursday. Buildings with maximum occupancies of 500 or fewer people are required to reduce capacity by 50% as well.
The state implemented the measure to “reduce the density of people across the state,” Cuomo said.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends social distancing as a method for communities to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Social distancing includes avoiding crowded public spaces, mass gatherings and maintaining a distance of at least 6 feet from other people when possible, according to the CDC.
Alongside several schools in New York, Syracuse University announced on Tuesday that it will suspend on-campus classes until at least March 30 in response to the virus. The university will shift to online classes starting at the end of Friday.
Cuomo announced a 1-mile “containment area” in New Rochelle, a suburb in Westchester County near New York City. The county most recently reported 121 positive cases of COVID-19, the highest count of the six affected counties in the state.
