Staten Island Councilman Joe Borelli blasted Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s newest restrictions on indoor family gatherings ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday, declaring he’ll gladly flout the changes.
“I’ll be having more than 10 ppl at my house on Thanksgiving. My address is public record. Some family will come from (gasp!) New Jersey,” the Republican city councilman tweeted following the third-term Democrat’s announcement Wednesday that no more than 10 people are allowed to gather indoors at once.
“Kids will see their grandparents, cousins will play in the yard, sis in law will bring strawberry rhubarb pie, & a turkey will be overcooked,” he added.
Cuomo’s newest statewide order includes a 10 p.m. curfew for all bars, restaurants and gyms in the state — effective Friday, Nov. 13.
Reached separately by The Post, Borelli defended his position, arguing it’s his job “to question the executive branch” — meaning Cuomo.
“I think there’s a coronavirus problem everywhere in the city. I think people should take responsibility,” he said.
“We still have a comparatively small number of cases compared to elsewhere in the country and maybe we’re overreacting,” he argued, taking a line from the governor himself, who has frequently compared New York’s comparatively low positivity rate to other states’.
The news comes as the Empire State reported an alarming 2.9 percent coronavirus positive case count Tuesday.
The Big Apple’s own count shows the seven-day average has grown to 2.52 percent positivity, the highest figure reported since June.
Most of Borelli’s borough is also set to transition into a “yellow” zone, as the area’s COVID cases have grown from certain neighborhoods — notably Tottenville, which tracked upwards of 6 percent positivity over the weekend.
It is still unclear when the new restrictions take effect, which include a 25 percent cap on gatherings in indoor and outdoor public spaces, a four-person table limit at bars and restaurants and increased, targeted virus testing in schools.
