STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York State officials announced Monday that parts of Staten Island’s South Shore have been designated an orange zone amid a rise in coronavirus (COVID-19) infection rates — which means those areas will see new restrictions for residents, businesses and schools.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that parts of Staten Island will enter the orange zone this week. The rest of the borough will remain in a yellow zone, according to the state.
In addition, Cuomo announced an emergency field hospital would reopen on the grounds of South Beach Psychiatric Center, as concerns about hospital capacity on the borough rise.
“Staten Island is a problem,” Cuomo said. “The number of hospitalizations on Staten Island over the past three weeks have basically tripled.”
What does an orange zone mean?
The orange zone restrictions are less severe than red zones, but more severe than yellow zones, in the state’s three-tier micro-cluster system.
Areas enter an orange zone if the seven-day rolling average positivity is above 3% for 10 days, and it has 10 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on a seven-day average. Additional factors are the total and daily hospital admissions in the area.
Businesses that are considered high-risk must close, and only outdoor dining is permitted. Mass gatherings, both indoor and outdoor, are capped at 10 people.
When do restrictions start?
According to the governor’s office, the restrictions go into effect Wednesday for businesses and Thursday for schools.
How do I know if I’m in an orange zone?
The governor’s office released a map of the new orange and yellow zone designations on Monday.
Once the maps are updated on the governor’s website, you can type in your address here to see if you are in an orange zone.
Will there be service cuts for public transportation?
Residents won’t see any service changes when using public transportation in orange zone areas.
There won’t be any reduction in service for local or express buses, or the Staten Island Railway (SIR), according to the MTA.
What businesses will close?
Certain “non-essential businesses” considered a higher-risk associated with the transmission of the coronavirus must close in an orange zone.
That includes: 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.
What about restaurants?
Under an orange zone, indoor dining is no longer allowed. Outdoor dining is permitted with a four-person table maximum. Restaurants can also continue to offer takeout and delivery.
Bars and restaurants must close at 10 p.m. for on-premises dining, according to the state.
Will I be able to go to a place of worship?
For areas in an orange zone, worship services are limited to 33% capacity, with a maximum of 25 people.
Can schools stay open for in-person learning?
Public and private schools close for in-person learning in an orange zone unless all staff and students receive a COVID-19 test and then 25% of the school population is tested for the coronavirus weekly, according to the state. If schools do not follow testing guidelines, they will need to move all students to remote learning.
“We’re going to see with the state how quickly we can finalize those standards, and then what we’ll have to do to meet those standards that week after Thanksgiving is the earliest, but I’m not yet able to say it will be then or a point thereafter. But we have real work to do, which I think we can do quickly, to finish those standards and then put together the action plan to make them come to pass,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio during a press briefing last week.
Private and Catholic schools can remain open, provided they test the school population under the state’s standards.
What if I’m still in a yellow zone?
For areas that aren’t an orange zone, the rest of Staten Island remains in a yellow zone.
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While the least severe, residents in a yellow zone will still need to adhere to state restrictions, including:
- A four-person limit on who can dine at a restaurant table
- 50% capacity at houses of worship
- A capacity limit of 25 people for outdoor gatherings
- Mandatory weekly testing of students and school personnel
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