Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed he won't be closing down some businesses even if COVID-19 continues to spread.

Hudson Valley Post logo
Enter your number to get our free mobile app

On Monday, Gov. Cuomo announced indoor dining will close or be reduced throughout New York State if a region's hospital rate doesn't stabilize in five days.

"If after 5 days a region's hospital rate has not stabilized, indoor dining will close or be reduced," Cuomo tweeted. "In NYC, indoor dining would close entirely. In (the) rest of the state, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity."

Cuomo later confirmed gyms and hair salons will remain open in regions where indoor dining is being closed or reduced.

Last week, Cuomo said New York's contact tracing found that restaurants, bars, gyms, salons and other businesses are not the biggest source in the increase of COVID-19 cases across New York State.

Cuomo added New York's latest contact tracing data shows 70 percent of new COVID-19 cases originate from households and small gatherings, or as he puts it, "living room spread."

"When you eliminate other options for socialization, people will shift their behavior and begin joining together in their homes. We are seeing the impacts of that now, with a significant number of cases originating in households and small gatherings," Cuomo said last week. "It's not just mass gatherings causing the spread anymore. The virus is now literally spreading in households."

Last week during a COVID-19 press briefing, Gov Cuomo hinted another statewide "pause" order could be put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"We could potentially do a NY Pause," Cuomo noted during his COVID-19 briefing on Monday. "The hospitalization rate is increasing dramatically."

Cuomo pointed to other states, like California, when announcing New York could see another "pause" order, Cuomo's preferred word for the closing of nonessential businesses.

Hours later the Governor's staff released a press release that confirmed Cuomo's COVID-19 Winter Plan has a strategy in place, called an "Emergency Stop" that will shut down parts of New York State, if a region's hospital system is overwhelmed.

In addition to the 3 existing micro-cluster zone levels (Yellow Precautionary, Orange Warning and Red), New York will also add a new 'Emergency Stop' level, which will effectively put that area under the NY Pause guidelines, if needed to preserve hospital capacity. Hospital metrics associated with these zones will be identified in the next week to 10 days, once data from the Thanksgiving holiday is received and analyzed.

On Thursday, Cuomo says the main focus remains the hospitalization rate and hospital capacity.

KEEP LOOKING: See What 50 of America's Most 'Pupular' Dog Breeds Look Like as Puppies

Dutchess County Sheriff Honored for 50 Years in Law Enforcement

Legendary Hudson Valley Music Venue, Bar, Restaurant is For Sale

More From Hudson Valley Post