It’s After 8: NY State Goes Into a Deep Closure

New York – New York state went into a deep hibernation at 8 o’clock Sunday night, closing all nonessential businesses and placing an effective lockdown on residents, as the number of coronavirus cases in New York City raced past 10,000, an increase of over 1,000 since this morning.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said that effective 8 p.m., all nonessential businesses in New York City will be closed. Only businesses with essential functions will be permitted to operate. Examples include grocery stores, pharmacies, internet providers, food delivery, banks, financial institutions and mass transit.

Businesses that provide essential services must implement rules that help facilitate social distancing. The NYPD will be out in neighborhoods across the city to ensure compliance with these policies.

Police will also be fining people who concentrate outside their home who are not six feet away from each other. It will limit use of public transportation to what is absolutely necessary.

The number of confirmed cases reached 10,764 as of 6 p.m. with Brooklyn seeing 3,164 cases. Just eight hours prior there were 9,654 cases in the city, with 2,857 in Brooklyn.

There have been 36 deaths in the city since this morning, reaching 99 deaths since the virus penetrated the city. There are 450 patients in the ICU.

De Blasio also announced that he would be releasing 23 inmates from city jails since they are at higher risk for coronavirus and a low-risk of re-offending. The administration is considering letting go an additional 200 detainees, with a final decision expected on Monday.