NYC threatens to SHUT non-essential businesses in neighborhoods where COVID-19 cases are on the rise
The New York City Health Department has threatened to crack down on six neighborhoods where COVID-19 cases are on the rise.
Officials also threatened to ban gatherings of more than 10 and more fines anyone refusing to wear a mask from Tuesday, if the situation in the hotspot areas has not improved by Monday.
Brooklyn's Midwood, Borough Park, Bensonhurst and South Williamsburg, as well as Queens' Far Rockaway and Kew Gardens, now account for 20 per cent of all new infections across the Big Apple.
It comes against the backdrop of rising cases across New York state, which reported 986 new infections on September 19 - the largest state-wide rise since June.
The New York City Health Department has threatened to close non-essential businesses in six neighborhoods where COVID-19 cases are on the rise
New York city has also seen an uptick in cases in recent days, according to data from the New York Times, but it is not as pronounced as the state-wide figure.
'If the indicators continue to rise, there must be additional enforcement actions,' the department said in a statement.
'For the first time in the city's recovery period, there could be the immediate scaling back of activities in these ZIP codes if progress is not made by Monday evening.'
Mayor Bill de Blasio also addressed the concerning situation, stating: 'We have a lot to do because we're seeing a serious uptick in multiple neighborhoods simultaneously and it's something we have to address with a very aggressive public health effort right away.'
In the meantime, Health Department workers are being deployed to the areas to distribute face masks and hand sanitizer. Mobile testing sites will also be set up.
The impacted neighborhoods are all home to substantial Orthodox Jewish populations - but Mayor de Blasio has not singled out those communities for the spike.
Back in April, de Blasio personally oversaw the dispersal of a Hasidic funeral in Williamsburg and weathered criticism over a tweet warning 'the Jewish community, and all communities' to heed the virus.
The impacted neighborhoods are all home to substantial Orthodox Jewish populations - but Mayor de Blasio has not singled out those communities for the spike. A family is seen walking past a COVID-19 testing center in Borough Park earlier this week
Meanwhile, Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of the city's public hospital system, said health officials are meeting with religious leaders in the hard-hit neighborhoods, making robocalls in English and Yiddish and sending sound trucks to flood the streets with messages about virus guidelines.
The Big Apple was once the global epicenter of the coronavirus crisis, before residents managed to flatten the curve.
While overall infection rate remains low, the state reported 986 new cases of the virus on September 19 - the highest daily infection rate since early June.
On Thursday, that number was down a little to 955.
In contrast, the city was frequently reporting upwards of 7,000 coronavirus cases every day during the peak of the crisis back in April and May.
While overall infection rate remains low, the city reported 986 new cases of the virus on September 19 - the highest daily infection rate since early June. Residents are seen out about about in Manhattan on that day
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