New York has now followed California and is ordering that as of 8 p.m. Sunday all state residents stop going to work and stay in their homes unless they are working at jobs considered essential or they need groceries, medicine or gasoline.
Governor Andrew Cuomo says he needs to take the step in order to curb the rapidly spreading corona virus.
“This is the most drastic action we can take,” Cuomo said.
Only grocery stores, convenience stores, gas stations, pharmacies and hardware and home improvement stores will remain open, along with beverage centers and liquor stores.
Earlier in the day, Cuomo, along with the governors of New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania, ordered the closure of all barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, nail salons, and other personal care businesses to close after 8 p.m. Saturday.
Violators will face civil fines.
The governor, as recently as Wednesday, had criticized New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, for recommending that the city adopt a shelter in place policy. At the time, Cuomo said it would cause panic. Now, he says, staying home is the best option to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed.
New Yorkers will still be allowed to go outside in family groups to get exercise and fresh air, for activities like walking or hiking, as long as they remain six feet away from others at all times.
There are special rules for people over 70, and those with underlying health conditions or compromised immune systems. They should stay indoors, and go out only to do solitary exercise, wear a mask if they are in contact with anyone, and not take public transportation unless urgent and absolutely necessary.
Cuomo calls those measures “Matilda’s Law” for his 88-year-old mother, Matilda Cuomo, who he says has been reluctant in the past to adopt some of the precautions.
If someone feels sick, they should seek a telehealth appointment, or call their doctor, and should not try to go to a doctor’s office.
Cuomo says he’s also trying to increase hospital capacity, and the state is short by more than 50,000 beds.
The governor says all noncritical elective surgeries will be cancelled, beginning sometime next week. He says that will free up between 25% and 35% of hospital beds. He also wants hospitals to make plans to squeeze more beds into their spaces.
State health officials are scouring med schools and nursing schools for volunteers, and asking that retired health care professionals come back to work.
The governor is also putting a call out to companies that make medical supplies, saying New York State will “pay a premium” if they can manufacture more masks, surgical gowns and gloves as soon as possible.
He says he’s also looking into expanding existing state prison operations, where uniforms are made for inmates, to find out whether they could switch to masks or surgical wear.
Cuomo says state officials have located some potential sites for temporary hospitals, including the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan, and State and City University campuses in New York and on Long Island, and Fordham and St. John’s Universities.
But the governor says the hardest task remains getting enough ventilators.
Meanwhile, the state Education Department and Board of Regents cancelled the required standardized math and reading test for grades three through eight for this year, saying schools need to focus on meeting community needs right now. All of the schools in the state are closed indefinitely.
And school budget and school board elections scheduled for May are increasingly in question. The New York State School Boards Association is urging candidates for their local boards of education not to go door-to-door collecting signatures on petitions to get on the ballot.
In a statement, the group’s executive, Robert Schneider, says "at this point in time, public health is the paramount concern.”
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