NYC Virus Cases Inch Closer Toward Trigger to Close Businesses

(Bloomberg) -- New York City's seven-day average of daily cases is approaching Mayor Bill de Blasio's warning threshold of 550.

The average was 501 on Sunday, up from 338 a week earlier, according to the latest data provided on the city's website. The city is seeing rising positive tests in nine ZIP codes of Brooklyn and Queens. Schools there shut Tuesday, and nonessential businesses may be ordered to close Wednesday if Governor Andrew Cuomo approves de Blasio's proposal.

The two gave conflicting messages on Monday of whether businesses would be shut. Cuomo said he wanted to use a better targeting system than ZIP codes, but “did not present a specific alternative,” de Blasio said. Discussions continue, he said.

“The important thing is to come to a decision quickly,” the mayor said. “We have to get ahead of this.”

Clean Classes

The schools will be closed for in-person learning for at least two weeks, and as long as four weeks, de Blasio said Tuesday at a press briefing.

Students who live in hot spots and attend school outside those zones can continue, de Blasio said. The mayor said he doesn't think this elevates the risk of spread in those schools.

“We see the schools taking extraordinary measures to keep students and staff safe,” he said.

Cuomo on Monday said Covid-19 spreads in schools and they were his top concern. De Blasio, though, said he is seeing little coronavirus activity in schools with staff so focused on safety. Of 1,351 tests given in 35 schools in the hot spots between Sept. 25 and Oct. 5, two came back positive, de Blasio said.

The mayor has set three citywide thresholds -- for testing, cases and hospital admissions -- that would prompt him to reassess its reopening.

As of Sunday, the citywide daily infection rate was 1.9% and the seven-day average was 1.65%, below a 5% threshold. There were 70 Covid hospital admissions, below a threshold of 200.

The city has adopted a 3% citywide infection rate to determine whether to shut down classroom instruction.

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