reopen nyc

Restriction enforcement begins in COVID cluster zones in New York City, New York state

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Saturday, October 10, 2020

New COVID restrictions in cluster hot spots leads to frustration

Josh Einiger has reaction as businesses and residents must adapt to new restrictions in COVID cluster hot spots.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The warnings are over, and enforcement of Governor Andrew Cuomo's COVID cluster zones restrictions begins Friday.

Police will ask crowds to disperse, potentially issue summonses, and even arrest those not following the mandates.

The shutdown is back in parts Brooklyn and Queens in New York City, as well as Rockland, Orange, Nassau and Broome counties.

And for those in the red zones, it means non-essential businesses have to close, restaurants can only offer takeout, there are no mass gatherings, and religious services capped at 10 people.

"It is ultimately all about each and every one of us, so folks in the red zone, in particular red zones, orange and yellow as well, is so much about what you do," Mayor Bill de Blasio said. "(It's) wearing masks, social distancing, it's all the basics that are that are going to help us come back."

The governor's order that came down earlier this week as the state tries to tackle alarming positive coronavirus rates in hotspots.

It's also the reason dozens took to the streets, rioting in Borough Park this week.

Many were unmasked, as the protested in response to the NYPD saying they'll be out educating -- but then conducting enforcement for those who don't comply.

The action also prompted one Orthodox Jewish organization and the Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn to sue the state.

The restrictions will be in place for at least two weeks, and it will be up to the math whether the areas can reopen.

You can find your zone at NYC.gov/covidzone.

ALSO READ: Frustration over closed parks causes protesters to cut locks to Brooklyn playground

Stay-at-home fatigue is igniting a new battle in New York City as protesters in Brooklyn once again defied a city order and cut the locks off of playgrounds in their neighborhood.

MORE NEWS: Watch Eyewitness to a Pandemic

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.