Governor Andrew Cuomo said he will announce reductions in micro-cluster restrictions on Wednesday (Governor Andrew Cuomo)
Jan. 25, 2021 By Allie Griffin
Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the state will begin to lift some COVID-19 restrictions this week as the state’s coronavirus positivity rate and other benchmarks are decreasing.
Cuomo said he will lower restrictions in micro-cluster zones statewide–including a Queens yellow zone that covers portions of northern and central Queens. He will announce the exact changes on Wednesday, he told reporters today.
However, he said indoor dining, which has been banned across the five boroughs since Dec. 14, is unlikely to reopen this week.
“We’re not at this point contemplating any changes,” Cuomo said.
He said the state is instead focusing on the micro-cluster zones, where restrictions exist on houses of worship, gyms, hair salons and outdoor dining.
The state, he said, is able to lift some of these restrictions because New York’s coronavirus positivity rate was at 5.85 percent yesterday — down from a high of 7.94 percent on Jan. 4.
“The good news is the number is down and it’s been continuing to decline,” Cuomo said.
COVID-19 hospitalizations, he said, are also beginning to decline across the state.
The figures show that New York has got past the COVID-19 peak period that followed from holiday gatherings. As a result, Cuomo said, the state is continuing to reopen the economy.
Northeast Queens micro-cluster yellow zone (NY State)
