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New York is extending its stay-at-home order as the state — which has become the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States — continues its battle to contain the spread of COVID-19.
On Thursday, April 16, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced he would be extending the order through May 15.
The order will also include social distancing measures as recommended by the CDC while non-essential workers will continue to stay at home. While the stay-at-home order is extended, Cuomo did say there will be a “phased return” that is being planned which will eventually allow businesses to reopen in phases in order of priority.
Beginning Friday, April 17 at 8:00 p.m. ET, everyone must wear a face mask or covering on public transportation or in taxis or ride-sharing services like Uber and Lift.
“New York on PAUSE will be extended in coordination with other states to May 15. Non-essential workers must continue to stay home. Social distancing rules remain in place. We must STAY THE COURSE,” Cuomo wrote on Twitter. “The policies and rules we have put in place are challenging and hard. But I trust New Yorkers. Social distancing works and it’s thanks to all of you. I know that New Yorkers will do the right thing because we are #NewYorkTough. I know this is hard. I wish I could say this will be over soon, but I can’t. We must make decisions based on the science and the data. Human lives are at stake.”
New York has seen a total of more than 213,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and more than 11,500 deaths throughout the state.
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The coronavirus mainly comes from animals and a majority of those who were infected early either worked at or frequently visited the Huanan seafood wholesale market in Wuhan, according to The Guardian. The virus is similar to Severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome (Mers).
The Wuhan coronavirus is transmitted from person to person through “droplet transmission.” That means an infected person can pass the virus by sneezing or coughing on another person as well as by direct contact.
While a majority of the cases have been detected in the United States and China — with more than 31,000 deaths in the United States — it has now reached many countries around the world. It has also been confirmed in Italy, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and many other eastern countries.
