Coronavirus Closes All Hudson Valley Restaurants, Bars, Theaters

NEW YORK, NY — All restaurants and bars in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will close Monday night, as will all casinos, gyms, and racetracks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Rockland County, the site of the region's first new coronavirus death, declared a state of emergency. Westchester County, the site of the state's first intense cluster, did as well.

The tri-state initiative closes those industries indefinitely and the governors of the three states will coordinate a reopening date.

The declaration puts an end to Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, which was scheduled to start its spring 2020 session Monday.

The measure is a desperate attempt to flatten the coronavirus infection curve and comes after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended banning all gatherings over 50 people.

"We have agreed to a common set of rules that will pertain to all of our states so don't even think about going to a neighboring state," Cuomo said.

Cuomo said he believes the Northeast is the only region that has coordinated closures in the country and argued the federal government should have set up a uniform set of rules.

"We all agree there will be no crowds of gatherings over 50 people," Cuomo said.

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All casinos, movie theaters, restaurants and bars will close at 8 p.m. Monday, he said. Restaurants will shift to takeout and delivery. These establishments will be provided a waiver for carry-out alcohol. Supermarkets, pharmacies and gas stations are not be affected.

"Our primary goal right now is to slow the spread of this virus so that the wave of new infections doesn't crash our healthcare system, and everyone agrees social distancing is the best way to do that," Cuomo said. "This is not a war that can be won alone, which is why New York is partnering with our neighboring states to implement a uniform standard that not only keeps our people safe but also prevents 'state shopping' where residents of one state travel to another and vice versa."

"We have shared interests, and a patchwork of closures and restrictions is not the best way forward," Lamont said. "I know that because of this collaboration, we will save lives."

Later on Monday, Cuomo said the state is weighing whether to mandate that elective surgeries be temporarily canceled to free up space at hospitals.

Cuomo said the number of positive cases in New York reached 950, 221 of which are new. While Westchester County no longer has the most, its number of cases is still far out of proportion to its size, he said, citing the intense cluster in New Rochelle.

In the Hudson Valley, the state health department said as of midday Monday Westchester had 220, 24 of them confirmed since Sunday; Rockland had 16, 3 of them new; Orange has 11, 5 new; Dutchess has 10, 3 confirmed since Sunday; Ulster has 7, 2 of them new; and Putnam has 2.

By Monday afternoon, Rockland's total was up to 18.

New York City has 463, a quarter of which are newly confirmed.

Rockland County declared a state of emergency at 1 p.m. Monday. Rockland County Executive Issues State Of Emergency UPDATE. The order includes a fine of up to $2,000 for schools that do not close and for people tested for the new coronavirus who do not self-quarantine until their results are back.

Westchester County was scheduled to do so at 3 p.m.

Rockland health officials warned that contagious people had been out in public in three locations: a children's clothing shop in Monsey, a church in Stony Point and a private school in New City. Anyone else who was there during the specific times must self-quarantine. Learn more: Coronavirus Exposure Warning: More Places In Rockland.

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