NYC Declares State of Emergency to Contain Coronavirus

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has declared a state of emergency in America’s largest city to try to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Speaking at a press conference at City Hall, de Blasio also announced that he would cut the legal occupancy of New York City’s bars and restaurants in half.

The mayor told reporters the city had 95 confirmed cases of coronavirus, a rise from 42 from Wednesday that de Blasio called “troubling. The last 24 hours have been very, very sobering,” he said.

De Blasio’s move came after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) banned gatherings of 500 or more across the state to try to blunt the spread of the coronavirus, which de Blasio said could be a “six-month crisis.”

New York state as a whole has 216 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the lion’s share of which are a short distance away from New York City in New Rochelle, a city in Westchester County.

Declaring a state of emergency gives the mayor the ability to establish a curfew, regulate vehicles and people entering certain parts of the city, close down public transportation, ration food and restrict people from being on the street or public places. It’s important to note none of those actions have been taken yet.