“It will be difficult for people who have done so much to fight back in this crisis,” the mayor said in a news conference Sunday, characterizing the plan as an effort to “rewind” reopening in nine neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens.
“But it is necessary to stop the spread of the coronavirus in these communities and beyond,” he said. “And it’s necessary for the good of all of New York City.”
The proposed plan — which requires state approval — includes the closure of all non-essential businesses, private and public schools and daycares beginning Wednesday, de Blasio said. Restaurants in the affected areas would have to stop indoor and outdoor dining but would be allowed to continue service for to-go orders.
Businesses and schools would be allowed to reopen after two weeks if the zip codes have seen seven consecutive days of positivity rates below 3%. If not, they would be closed for at least four weeks.
New York was among the first US cities plunged into crisis as it experienced a massive Covid-19 outbreak when the coronavirus began spreading across the nation earlier this year. In March, it was the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in the US, but the city and the state have since managed to contain the spread of the virus.
“What has become clear is that there are a number of neighborhoods now that have continued to have a high level of coronavirus positivity and that requires stronger action than we’ve had to take for many months,” de Blasio said.
The neighborhoods and zip codes that would be impacted by the mayor’s proposal include:
• Edgemere/Far Rockaway, zip code 11691
• Borough Park, zip code 11219
• Gravesend/Homecrest, zip code 11223
• Midwood, zip code 11230
• Bensonhurst/Mapleton, zip code 11204,
• Flatlands/Midwood, zip code 11210
• Gerritsen Beach/Homecrest/Sheepshead Bay, zip code 11229
• Kew Gardens, zip code 11415
• Kew Gardens Hills/Pomonok, zip code 11367
Additionally, the mayor said lesser restrictions would be put in place in 11 zip codes that officials are “concerned” about.
They include parts of Williamsburg, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Manhattan Beach, Bergen Beach, Crown Heights, Rego Park, Fresh Meadows, HIllcrest and Jamaica Estates. In those areas, indoor dining, gyms and pools would close if the plan is approved by Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office.
