New York officials warn against holiday travel and gatherings as COVID-19 cases spike

“We need to do everything in our power to stop the coronavirus from reasserting in New York City,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

By: Israel Fontoura

This Thanksgiving, Katie Mrozik would’ve spent the day with more than 50 family members at her uncle’s house in Long Island. Instead, her plans include eating dinner with her husband and toddler at her Bayridge, Queens home, and then waving outside her 92-year-old grandmother’s window.

New York City and state officials have discouraged residents from traveling this year as the average weekly case count of COVID-19 rises in the city, the state, and nationwide. It took six days — from Nov. 9 to Nov. 15 — for COVID-19 cases in the U.S. to go from 10 million to 11 million. On Nov. 19 alone, there were 185,095 new reported cases in the U.S., bringing the total to 11.8 million.

On Nov. 18, New York City’s weekly average positivity rate crossed three percent, prompting Mayor Bill de Blasio to again close schools. The last time the city had a three percent average was in June.

Both de Blasio and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been warning New Yorkers for weeks to remain vigilant. During a Nov. 9 press conference, de Blasio urged people to behave as they did when COVID-19 first hit the city, and spoke of forthcoming restrictions. “We need to do everything in our power to stop the coronavirus from reasserting in New York City,” he said. On Nov. 11, Cuomo announced a 10 p.m. curfew on restaurants, bars, and gyms, which went into effect two days later, and he limited indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people. In an update three days later, Cuomo said, “We know the factors that contribute to spread, like COVID fatigue, winter, restaurants, gyms, and living room family spread.”

More restrictions, Mrozik said, wouldn’t affect her too much, as her family has strictly followed health guidelines. She’s upset, though, when others don’t do the same. “It makes me feel angry. It makes me feel confused, because I don’t understand why they would want to put their loved ones at risk.”

“I think people are getting antsy and they want to see their friends and they want to see their families — so they are,” she added.

Most cases are reported to the city’s health department within two days of testing, and, on Oct. 31, there was a weekly average of 597 COVID-19 cases in the city. Ten days later, the average almost doubled to 1,046 cases. It’s unclear if the increases are tied to Halloween gatherings, but officials aren’t taking any chances.

Councilmembers like Alicka Ampry-Samuel are reminding New Yorkers that wearing masks, frequent hand-washing, and social distancing are non-negotiable. But, she notes that meeting all of those health mandates might be difficult for some of the Brooklyn residents she represents. Ampry-Samuel is on the health committee and represents District 41, which encompasses Bedford-Stuyvesant, Ocean Hill-Brownsville, East Flatbush, and Crown Heights.

“Many people cannot self-isolate if they aren’t feeling well, and the 14-day COVID sick leave isn’t helpful for those who work off the books. We don’t promote this style of employment but it’s the reality among many of our harder-to-reach neighbors, and ignoring it only creates more harm,” she told prox., in an email.

The NYC Department of Health released a COVID-19 guide recommending safe holiday celebrations. “Do not travel, do not host or attend a holiday party; and do not gather in groups and only celebrate with household members,” the Department wrote. This matches updated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that suggest people should only gather with housemates for Thanksgiving. “Unfortunately, the COVID-19 epidemic is worsening, and small household gatherings are an important contributor to the rise in COVID-19 cases,” the CDC wrote.

Councilman Keith Powers, also on the health committee, agreed with these guidelines and said that New Yorkers can get through this together. “New Yorkers should do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19 by not gathering with people who are not in their household, and following City, State, and CDC guidelines,” he told prox. “Which likely includes changing your travel plans — that means Thanksgiving is going to be different for most all of us this year.”

Bio: Israel Fontoura is an M.S. student at Columbia Journalism School covering health for proxy. He’s a Florida expat on the hunt for the best food and sights the city has to offer.