Non-essential businesses will be required, starting Sunday evening, to allow their entire workforce to work from home under an order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who said Friday morning that he understood the decision would disrupt the state’s economy.
The new order, Cuomo said, is a reaction to the continued spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, which had tested positive in 7,102 people in New York as of Friday morning.
“These actions will cause disruption. They will cause businesses to close. They will cause employees to stay at home. I understand that,” Cuomo said. “They will cause much unhappiness. I understand that also.”
The state will exempt from the order so-called ‘essential businesses.’ Those are businesses like grocery stores, pharmacies, transportation companies, health care providers, and others. Media companies are also considered essential businesses.
That order will take effect Sunday evening, Cuomo said. It’s a ramp-up from an order that was expected to take effect on Friday, which would have allowed a quarter of a company’s employees to work on-site.
Now, companies that aren’t exempt will be required to allow all of their employees to work from home. Cuomo said he’s had some pushback on the order, but that it’s binding statewide.
“Just so we’re all clear, this is a statewide order. It’s not what your county executive is doing, it’s not what your mayor is doing,” Cuomo said. “It’s not what anyone else but me is doing. And I accept full responsibility.”
New rules will be in place for vulnerable individuals, like people with underlying conditions, those with compromised immune systems, and seniors over 70.
Those people should remain indoors as much as possible, pre-screen all visitors by taking their temperature, stay away from areas with multiple people, wear a mask when around others, have others wear a mask, and only take public transit if absolutely necessary.
People considered not vulnerable should still cancel non-essential gatherings, stay home, avoid public transportation, avoid activities where contact is necessary, watch for symptoms, and practice social distancing.
New York state will also pause evictions statewide for the next 90 days, Cuomo said. That includes both commercial and residential leases. That means tenants will be safe from eviction until mid-June.
"I don't know who you think you're going to rent an apartment to anyway, right now, if you kick someone out," Cuomo said. "I know we're going to put people out of work with what I did, I don’t want to put them out of a home too.”
The state will not delay sales tax payments that were due Friday, but will not charge interest or penalties for late payments, Cuomo said.
The New York State Restaurant Association, which had called for those tax payments to be delayed since restaurants have been limited to take-out and delivery, said the decision will be a relief to struggling businesses.
“For some restaurants, this little bit of breathing room could mean the difference between paying employees and shutting their doors forever. That being said, this relief is temporary, and we’ll continue to advocate for additional ways to help restaurants survive during this crisis,” said Melissa Fleischut, president and CEO of the New York State Restaurant Association.
