Rockland and Orange counties named Covid hotspots by Gov. Cuomo

Rockland and Orange counties have been flagged as Covid-19 hotspots by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo with the infection rate for the virus hitting 6.2% in Rockland and 4.7% in Orange as of Sunday. That compares with a seven-day average infection rate of 1.23% statewide.

Cuomo said on Monday that the state is going to take over enforcement of Covid mitigation rules in hotspots throughout the state, using local personnel to do the legwork.

Rockland and Orange counties were cited by Cuomo as hotspots along with Broome County where the infection rate was 3.1% yesterday, western New York where it was 1.2% and parts of Brooklyn where it was 2.5%.

Cuomo announced that schools in areas of New York City where the number of infections is spiking will be closed starting tomorrow. He said that officials are studying how best to close businesses in areas where the virus seems to be entering another wave. He said he has been consulting with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and other officials on school and business closings.

“Better safe than sorry. I would not send my child to a school in a hotspot cluster that has not been tested, where I did not have proof that the infection rate was low in that school. I would not send my child,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo did not say whether he was considering ordering schools closed in Rockland, Orange and the other areas he identified outside of New York City.

Cuomo also said religious events, especially large-scale gatherings with up to 1,000 people held by Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups where people were tightly packed together and not using masks have been ideal for spreading the virus.

“We know there have been mass gatherings going on in concert with religious institutions in these communities for weeks,” Cuomo said. “What did you think was going to happen? If you do not agree to enforce the rules, then we”™ll close the institutions down. I am prepared to do that.”

Cuomo said that he plans to meet with religious leaders tomorrow seeking their agreement to honor regulations and help ensure enforcement should there be violations. He said religious leaders from Rockland and Orange will be part of the meeting.

When religious events are planned for buildings such as churches and synagogues that are allowed to operate at 50% capacity there should be someone at the door charged with counting the number of people entering and then turning people away after capacity has been reached, he said. The religious community needs to agree to be a full partner in the enforcement of the rules.

“Any rule is only as good as the enforcement,” Cuomo said. “Too many local governments are not doing enforcement. Warnings are not enforcement. ”˜Put a mask on or I will ticket you”™ is not enforcement. ”˜Store owner, you”™re not supposed to have this many people in your store.”™ We are past that.”

Cuomo said that yesterday there were eight deaths from Covid-19 in New York state, with 636 people in hospitals and 149 in intensive care.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said that in Westchester as of Sunday there were 674 active cases of Covid. The positive infection rate in the county was less than 1% and as of Saturday there were 26 people being treated for the virus in hospitals in the county.