Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered a statewide lockdown Friday that will shut down most of the Empire State — including New York City — as the state battles against the coronavirus pandemic.
The restrictions take effect Sunday night and will:
- Shut down all non-essential businesses across the state, leaving just grocery stores, pharmacies and other essential operations open;
- Ban all non-solitary outside activity, like outdoor basketball games and other team sports;
- Require all non-essential government and private sector employees work from home
“We have to do it, we have to be serious,” Cuomo told reporters at the state capitol. “Everyone has personal freedom and everyone has personal liberty and I’ll always protect that.”
“But everyone also has a responsibility to everyone else,” he added.
The new orders come as the coronavirus case count ballooned to more than 7,100 cases across the state — more than 4,400 are in New York City.
Cuomo said the orders will be strictly enforced and that violators will be fined. And, he said violators will be fined to coordinate the lock-down policies with New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Delaware.
“Regional action is the best,” he noted.
The slew of new executive actions comes just a day after California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered the entire state to stay home in a desperate bid to slow the spread of the disease.
