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Several new communities in the Hudson Valley have been designated as COVID-19 “yellow zone” micro-clusters amid the new rise in new cases and positive infection rate.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Thursday, Nov. 19 that in Westchester, parts of Yonkers, New Rochelle, Tarrytown, Ossining, and Peekskill are among the latest in the Hudson Valley to be designated in the “yellow zone.”
In Rockland, Pearl River, Suffern, Stony Point, and West Haverstraw were designated, and in Orange County, Newburgh, New Windsor, Middletown, and Highland Falls were added.
An area is designated as a “yellow zone” if it sees positive infection rates of 3.5 percent or more for 10 straight days.
The Hudson Valley region is now tied for the second-worst infection rate in the entire state at 3.8 percent.
Yellow zone restrictions include a 25-person maximum capacity on mass gatherings, four-person to a table maximum while dining, and 20 percent weekly testing of in-person students, faculty in schools. Bars and restaurants located in the zone are also subject to curfews.
Gatherings in private homes remain limited to 10 people, while information on public school impacts will come directly from each school district.
During his COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, Cuomo reiterated his fears of a post-Thanksgiving surge in new cases, cautioning that it's best to stay home and celebrate from a distance.
"The virus is complicated, but you know what it's going to do," he said. "I will wager you, if people are not extraordinarily diligent and act in a way they have never acted before, you will see a real spike."
In the past 24 hours, 195,239 New Yorkers were tested for COVID-19, with 5.310 testing positive. The 2.72 percent infection rate is down from 3.43 percent the day before.
The positivity rate in the state’s micro-clusters is at 4.11 percent, and the statewide rate excluding those clusters would be 2.38 percent.
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