STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that due to the increasing coronavirus (COVID-19) positivity rate, Staten Island -- most of which has been designated a yellow zone -- could become more restrictive red and orange zones by the end of the week.
During a press briefing, Cuomo said several communities across the state are in a “warning track” this week, including “parts of Staten Island that will go into an orange zone and parts of Staten Island that will go into a red zone” if the trend of coronavirus cases continues at this rate, he said.
A red zone -- the most restrictive of the designations -- has been feared by many small business owners and restaurants since they were able to reopen during various phases after being shuttered in March.
“I’m really concerned about the viability of local businesses,” said Linda Baran, president and CEO of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce. “In the last couple of weeks, business owners were worried about these closures. This is the time of year when a lot of these entities make their money, during the holiday season.”
She said she’s concerned these businesses -- from hair salons to retail stores -- won’t be able to sustain another shutdown.
“I don’t know if businesses will be able to make it. ...Staten Island is different than the rest of the city. To say one part of the Island is red and the other is orange, may not work. I don’t know how effective that is going to be. I think individual businesses should be able to run on their own merit as long as they are having no issues,” said Baran.
ALL RESTAURANTS WOULD CLOSE
In a red zone, all restaurants would shutter and only be allowed to accommodate pick-up and delivery orders. In addition, all non-essential businesses, including malls and retails stores, would close -- possibly at the busiest time for holiday shopping -- Black Friday week.
“Restaurants are disproportionately affected by these edicts,” said by St. George attorney Mark Fonte, who is one of the lawyers representing a contingent of Island-based restaurants who have dubbed themselves, I.R.O.A.R. (Independent Restaurant Owners Association Rescue).“They have complied with every mandate placed on them. If they are following the guidelines, there is no reason they should be shut down.”
Said Louis Gelormino, fellow St. George attorney representing the restaurant owners: “Cuomo’s policies are ensuring that the restaurant industry will cease to exist in the near future. We are clearly not all in this together.”
However, Cuomo said the designations are warranted to help stop the spread of the virus.
“We have several communities that are in the warning track. I hate sports analogies. For those people who don’t know them, the warning track is the track just before the fence when you run to catch the ball it’s going to be a home run, a warning track turns into dirt so you don’t run into the wall,” he said.
“I always ran into the wall anyway. Parts of Staten Island will go into an orange zone. Parts of Staten Island will go into a red zone at the current rate. Staten Island is a serious problem. Staten Island is also a problem in terms of overburdening hospitals, and we’re running into a hospital capacity issue on Staten Island that we have to be dealing with over these next few days,” he added.
- Closure of non-essential businesses;
- Restaurants return to take-out only operations;
- Closure of public and private schools to in-person learning unless all staff and students receive a COVID-19 test and then 25% of the school population is tested weekly;
- Worship services limited to 25% capacity;
- Prohibition of mass gatherings.
Orange zone regulations:
- Businesses considered to be high-risk must remain closed;
- Outdoor dining is permitted with a four-person table maximum;
- Closure of public and private schools to in-person learning unless all staff and students receive a COVID-19 test and then 25% of the school population is tested weekly;
- Worship services limited to 33% capacity with a maximum of 25 people;
- Mass gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, are capped at 10 people.
NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES THAT WOULD CLOSE
According to Cuomo’s executive order, “non-essential businesses” -- those that are considered “a higher risk associated with the transmission of the COVID-19 virus” that would close in designed orange and red zones include gyms, fitness centers, barbers, hair salons, spas, tattoo and piercing parlors, nail technicians and nail salons, cosmetologists, estheticians and laser hair removal and electrolysis companies.
“If gyms must close, not only will it cripple the fitness industry and small businesses alike, but more so devastating to New Yorkers who rely on fitness for health purposes,” said Chris Pacifico, who owns Crunch Fitness in St. George and just opened a 32,000-square-foot Crunch gym in the former New York Sports Club space in Travis that shuttered during the pandemic.
Red zones would see the closures of even more businesses -- anything deemed non-essential, said a state spokesperson.
