UPDATE: New York City, later Sunday, said it would close bars until further notice and limit restaurants to take-out and delivery, to reduce density in those spaces and reduce the spread of COVID-19. That starts Tuesday morning.
"The virus can spread rapidly through the close interactions New Yorkers have in restaurants, bars and places where we sit close together. We have to break that cycle," de Blasio said.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that he would sign an executive order requiring all elective surgeries to be canceled in the five boroughs, and that schools will be closed until April 20 at the earliest.
Those actions come as New York City reported its fifth death linked to the coronavirus, or COVID-19, Sunday afternoon.
“I am very, very concerned that we see a rapid spread of this disease, and it is time to take more dramatic measures,” de Blasio said.
De Blasio said the city will first attempt to reopen its schools on April 20th, after the spring vacation, but that they may remain closed for the rest of the school year. The city is developing ways that students could still participate in remote learning, de Blasio said.
The city will also work toward providing child care for essential workers, like those in the health care industry and emergency services.
“We are going to come up with a number of alternatives to try, as much as possible, still provide an education to our kids remotely, and provide a physical location for the children of those crucial public workers,” de Blasio said.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo, on Sunday, tasked a handful of officials from the health care industry with working with the city to develop a plan for providing child care for essential workers. One of those officials, Greater New York Hospital Association Kenneth Raske gave a nod to Cuomo for keeping them in mind.
“Many of the world-class health care workers on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 have school-aged children,” Raske said. “With all New Yorkers depending on them, they need to know that closing down schools won’t hinder their ability to do their essential work at the very time they’re needed most.”
Schools will still be open over the next five days to provide grab-and-go meals for students, de Blasio said, but that will only last a week. De Blasio said there isn't a long term plan, as of now, on how those children will be fed beyond next Friday.
“I am just distraught over taking this action, but I became convinced over the course of the day that there was no other choice,” de Blasio said.
New York City reported a total of 329 cases of the coronavirus as of Sunday afternoon, de Blasio said.
De Blasio said he’ll also order that all elective surgeries in New York City be canceled until further notice to free up hospital beds for patients diagnosed with the coronavirus. That power was made available to him after declaring a state of emergency over the outbreak, he said.
“We will work to word this specifically to allow the flexibility because some hospitals can continue over a period of a few days to close out some existing elective surgeries,” de Blasio said. “Not all of them have to go to zero instantly.”
New York City will also close senior centers, and turn them into areas where seniors can pick up meals, de Blasio said. Seniors won’t be allowed to spend time there, but they’ll still have access to food.
New York City has also canceled the special election for Queens Borough President that was scheduled for later this month, de Blasio said. A new date for the election hasn’t been decided.
Schools in Westchester County and on Long Island will also close Monday, Cuomo said Sunday. Those schools will be closed for two weeks, he said.