ALBANY, N.Y. — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday he is ordering all workers in nonessential businesses to stay home and banning gatherings statewide as cases of COVID-19 grow.
The Democratic governor took the dramatic actions as confirmed cases in New York climbed to more than 7,000. Cuomo reported that the state’s number of fatalities had increased to 35. Johns Hopkins University, which has been tallying deaths globally, put the state’s fatality count at 38.
“We’re going to close the valve, because the rate of increase in the number of cases portends a total overwhelming of our hospital system,” Cuomo said at a news conference.
Nonessential gatherings of individuals of any size or for any reason are cancelled or postponed. Cuomo also mandated that all people should stay at least 6 feet away from other people when they are out in public.
And only essential businesses can have workers commuting to the job or on the job, Cuomo said.
The rules will take effect Sunday evening.
The executive order he will sign Friday tightens previous work-from-home exemptions that exempted businesses providing certain services, including media, warehouses, grocery and food production facilities, pharmacies, health care providers, utilities and banks.
Cuomo said people can still go out for solitary exercise to protect their physical and mental health.
“You can’t say to someone, You must be locked in your apartment 24 hours a day for the foreseeable future.’ Look what you’re saying to people. This could be going on for months,” he said.