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Covid-19: Rockland Has 'Teeth' To Enforce Executive Order On Social Distancing, State Says

A day after Rockland County Executive Ed Day heatedly responded to a claim by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that he was unaware Day had requested a containment zone be established in the area of the county with the most novel coronavirus (COVID-19 cases), Cuomo emphasized the importance for all residents to follow the state's executive order on social distancing.

The darker shaded areas have the highest conservation of COVID-19 cases.

The darker shaded areas have the highest conservation of COVID-19 cases.

Photo Credit: Rockland County Government
The request for the containment zone from Rockland County Executive Ed Day to Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears in the second paragraph of the letter shown here, written on Thursday, April 2.

The request for the containment zone from Rockland County Executive Ed Day to Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears in the second paragraph of the letter shown here, written on Thursday, April 2.

Photo Credit: Rockland County

"I know what's happening in Rockland County and the numbers in Rockland County," Cuomo said. "We see them every day.

"We work very closely with the community in Monsey and the orthodox community in Rockland. I get the issue. "

"Also, they understand what happened in New Rochelle with the New Rochelle cluster, which is where we had that explosion.

"One person in a gathering - whatever the gathering. Look we're coming into Palm Sunday, Easter Sunday. I had to cancel the St. Patrick's Day Parade. A lot of people got offended at that.

"But you can't have large gatherings where one or two people can infect a lot of other people. And just because it's a religious gathering, the virus is a non-religious enemy."

State Health Director Dr. Harold Zucker said he spoke with community and religious leaders in Monsey in a conference call that he said also included county government officials.

"I conveyed the importance of what needs to be done to prevent the spread of this virus," Zucker said.

Specifically, Zucker said he "explained the need to abide by the 6-foot distance and also the issues of social distance and to stay at home and reiterated all the points the governor has made at all these press conferences with everyone there."

Melissa DeRosa, Secretary to Gov. Cuomo said she spoke with Day. 

"I think there was a little bit of a disconnect between the locals on the ground understanding the authority the executive order 202-11 gave them," DeRosa said.

"They have a public health clause and the local building code they can enforce and there are civil and criminal penalties that are associated with that.

"Obviously, that's the last-case scenario. In New York City, they have been issuing tickets. So they do have teeth behind these executive orders and I'm not sure they understood the weight of the full force they have behind them."

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