De Blasio: New York City should prepare for a potential 'full shutdown'
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) is warning that a "full shutdown" may be imminent amid a spike in COVID-19 cases in the state.
The mayor on Monday said he agrees with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who recently told The New York Times that "you could be looking at the shutdown of New York City within a month" based on the state's COVID-19 numbers. De Blasio warned that New Yorkers should prepare for the possibility of returning to the kind of "pause" the city saw in the spring.
"The governor said in a New York Times interview over the weekend that we should prepare for the possibility of a full shutdown," de Blasio said. "I agree with that. We need to recognize that that may be coming, and we've got to get ready for that now because we cannot let this virus keep growing."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The mayor, who noted "the state will ultimately make the decision" to close the city, urged New Yorkers to work remotely if possible and begin preparing for new restrictions, which he said would "hopefully" only last a "matter of weeks."
"All forms of restrictions have to be on the table at this point," de Blasio said. "I think there's a likelihood of more restrictions quite soon, so folks should start making those adjustments now, and get ready to work remotely if they can."
The warning comes as New York City recently shut down indoor dining again and as the state reported more than 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 for the fifth consecutive day.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
'People shouldn't have to share the road with impaired drivers'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Is academic freedom in peril?
Today's Big Question Faculty punishments are on the rise
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Quincy Jones, music icon, is dead at 91
Speed Read The legendary producer is perhaps best known as the architect behind Michael Jackson's 'Thriller'
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
ACA opens 2025 enrollment, enters 2024 race
Speed Read Mike Johnson promises big changes to the Affordable Care Act if Trump wins the election
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
McDonald's sued over E. coli linked to burger
Speed Read The outbreak has sickened at least 49 people in 10 states and left one dead
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Texas dairy worker gets bird flu from infected cow
Speed Read The virus has been spreading among cattle in Texas, Kansas, Michigan and New Mexico
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Dengue hits the Americas hard and early
Speed Read Puerto Rico has declared an epidemic as dengue cases surge
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US bans final type of asbestos
Speed Read Exposure to asbestos causes about 40,000 deaths in the U.S. each year
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Seattle Children's Hospital sues Texas over 'sham' demand for transgender medical records
Speed Read Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton subpoenaed records of any Texan who received gender-affirming care at the Washington hospital
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Afghanistan has a growing female suicide problem
Speed Read The Taliban has steadily whittled away women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan over the past 2 years, prompting a surge in depression and suicide
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US life expectancy rose in 2022 but not to pre-pandemic levels
Speed Read Life expectancy is slowly crawling back up
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published