State orders private business to reduce staff
In this photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo, center, meets with officers from the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Albany, N.Y., Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Cuomo called on Army Corps of Engineers for their help with building temporary hospitals in the state to handle the tens of thousands of coronavirus patients that New York is expecting. (Don Pollard/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)
By Joe Mahoney
CNHI State Reporter
ALBANY – State officials, reacting to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, ordered private businesses, with limited exceptions, to reduce the number of employees who have to report to work sites by at least 50 percent in order to reduce the risk posed by the contagion.
The order came as New York's total number of infected people grew to 2,382, an increase of 1,008 cases in 24 hours.
The percentage of infected people who are being hospitalized also increased, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo pegging that rate at 23 percent.
Cuomo said the reduction in work force order will not apply to essential services, such as grocery stores, health care facilities, pharmacies and transportation.
He said a full list of the types of businesses that will be impacted by his executive order will be issued later today.
As for news media companies, Cuomo said he personally views them as providing essential services, though the full list of impacted businesses remains under review.
The firms being impacted would have the option of letting workers telecommute.
Cuomo's announcement came after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. and Canadian governments have jointly decided to suspend crossings of the U.S. border with Canada. That directive pertains to all "non-essential" traffic and, according to Trump, will not impact international trade.
While the bulk of New York's infections are in the downstate region, there were fresh indications it has been transmitted to people in rural regions of upstate New York.
Counties that previously did not have a person infected by the virus but do now include: Chenango, Essex, Hamilton, Warren and Washington, according to state data.
While the state did not mention Niagara County in the updated data, the Niagara Gazette, quoting Niagara County officials, has confirmed that one person from Niagara County has now tested positive for the virus.
In Onondaga County, officials ordered the closure of Destiny USA, one of the upstate region's largest shopping malls.
Cuomo said the increase in the number of infected people reflects an increase in the availability of tests for the virus.
Cuomo also said Trump has arranged for a Navy hospital ship, the U.S. Comfort, which is equipped to treat at least 200 patients, to assist New York's effort by mooring the vessel in New York Harbor.
This story is developing and more information will be posted later today.
Joe Mahoney covers the New York Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach him at jmahoney@cnhi.com.
CNHI State Reporter
ALBANY – State officials, reacting to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, ordered private businesses, with limited exceptions, to reduce the number of employees who have to report to work sites by at least 50 percent in order to reduce the risk posed by the contagion.
The order came as New York's total number of infected people grew to 2,382, an increase of 1,008 cases in 24 hours.
The percentage of infected people who are being hospitalized also increased, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo pegging that rate at 23 percent.
Cuomo said the reduction in work force order will not apply to essential services, such as grocery stores, health care facilities, pharmacies and transportation.
He said a full list of the types of businesses that will be impacted by his executive order will be issued later today.
As for news media companies, Cuomo said he personally views them as providing essential services, though the full list of impacted businesses remains under review.
The firms being impacted would have the option of letting workers telecommute.
Cuomo's announcement came after President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. and Canadian governments have jointly decided to suspend crossings of the U.S. border with Canada. That directive pertains to all "non-essential" traffic and, according to Trump, will not impact international trade.
While the bulk of New York's infections are in the downstate region, there were fresh indications it has been transmitted to people in rural regions of upstate New York.
Counties that previously did not have a person infected by the virus but do now include: Chenango, Essex, Hamilton, Warren and Washington, according to state data.
While the state did not mention Niagara County in the updated data, the Niagara Gazette, quoting Niagara County officials, has confirmed that one person from Niagara County has now tested positive for the virus.
In Onondaga County, officials ordered the closure of Destiny USA, one of the upstate region's largest shopping malls.
Cuomo said the increase in the number of infected people reflects an increase in the availability of tests for the virus.
Cuomo also said Trump has arranged for a Navy hospital ship, the U.S. Comfort, which is equipped to treat at least 200 patients, to assist New York's effort by mooring the vessel in New York Harbor.
This story is developing and more information will be posted later today.
Joe Mahoney covers the New York Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach him at jmahoney@cnhi.com.
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