New York Malls, Amusement Parks, Bowling Alleys Ordered Closed
Update, 5:20PM: A press release sent by Pyramid Management Group, which owns and operates the Poughkeepsie Galleria and the Galleria at Crystal Run in Middletown, indicated that tenants with dedicated exterior entrances would remain open to operate under current capacity guidelines. These tenants include Target, Best Buy and Dick's Sporting Goods.
"We are in unprecedented times and understand the direction from New York State is the result of the presence of the Coronavirus in the communities we serve," Pyramid CEO Stephen Congel said in a press release. "We respect the decision to further enhance community mitigation and reduce density for the greater good of our community, tenants, guests and employees."
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Original Story
All indoor shopping malls, amusement parks and bowling alleys in New York State, as well as New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania must close by Thursday.
On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is joining their coalition to implement a regional approach to combatting COVID-19.
"Pennsylvania is working aggressively to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. A regional approach to this threat is smart, and I am grateful for all of the work by my colleagues in neighboring states. Joining these leaders will help Pennsylvania mitigate the spread of COVID-19 with a coordinated approach," Wolf said.
The four governors announced indoor portions of retail shopping malls, amusement parks and bowling alleys in the four states will close by 8 p.m. Thursday, an expansion of the guidance that the three governors from the tri-state area issued Monday.
"We are doing everything we can as states to reduce density and contain the spread of the virus," Cuomo said. "It is critical that we remain on the same page as our neighboring states, and so far we are the only region in the country partnering to create uniform, regional density reduction policies that prevent 'state shopping.' We will continue working together to update our regulations and guidance as the situation evolves while keeping a consistent standard across the region."
The guidance issued Monday, which Pennsylvania also adopted, limits crowd capacity for social and recreational gatherings to 50 people. The governors also announced restaurants and bars would close for on-premise service and move to take-out and delivery services only. The governors also temporarily closed movie theaters, gyms and casinos.
"This is a fast moving and quickly evolving public health emergency, and making these kinds of important decisions as a region makes more sense than a patchwork approach. We will combat this virus by working together and remaining consistent across our borders and I'm proud to work with my fellow governors in this effort," Governor Lamont said