In his ongoing effort to make life unbearable for New Yorkers, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a “rewind” for nine zip codes across Brooklyn and Queens inspired by rising coronavirus cases in those areas.
In his ongoing effort to make life unbearable for New Yorkers, Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced a "rewind" plan for nine zip codes across Brooklyn and Queens, inspired by rising coronavirus cases in those areas.
His plan, which is yet to be approved by his partner in municipal fascism Governor Andrew Cuomo, would shutter businesses, schools, and day care centers in these neighborhoods. These include primarily Jewish neighborhoods, which have been hard hit during the pandemic as de Blasio continued to crack down on religious gatherings.
These restrictions would go into effect on Wednesday, after giving students and teachers Monday and Tuesday to go into the school and prepare to go back to fully remote learning. School in New York City has barely been open a few weeks, with students in these areas only able to attend school either one or two days per week for in-person learning.
De Blasio's plan, which would send residents and businesses back into full lockdown mode, come at a time when many New Yorkers of means have already left the city for locales where life continues without these restrictions. In August, it was reported that almost 90 percent of New York's restaurants were unable to pay their rent. Apartment dwellers are struggling, too, as the moratorium on evictions is set to expire at the year's end.
About 100 public schools will be shuttered to students and teachers, as well as 200 private schools. Gyms, which only just opened in September under tight guidance, day care centres, and restaurants would be closed. De Blasio would let churches remain open, however, since it turns out neither he nor Cuomo have the legal authority to dispense with the First Amendment right to worship.
De Blasio said that he intends to keep these neighborhoods on lockdown for 14 to 28 days, but given that the initial "pause," intended for only a few weeks, has lasted eight months and counting, it is unclear if 14 to 28 days means that or means an additional half a year bordering on indeterminate and in perpetuity.
The stated goal is to get the infection rate under three percent. He's got another 11 zip codes on the chopping block as well, and those cases get up over three percent of the population, he's got no qualms about taking away their freedoms as well.
Governor Cuomo has blamed the local leadership for failing to contain the contagion, just as he has blamed the federal government as well. What he'd like to see is greater enforcement, and has made plans to enforce lockdown measures starting Monday. It is unclear what that enforcement will look like.
"Local governments have not done an effective job of enforcement in these hotspot ZIP codes. NYS will be doing aggressive enforcement starting tomorrow. As we saw with bars and restaurants, when the state initiated enforcement actions compliance greatly increased."
Local governments have not done an effective job of enforcement in these hotspot ZIP codes.
NYS will be doing aggressive enforcement starting tomorrow.
As we saw with bars and restaurants, when the state initiated enforcement actions compliance greatly increased.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo)
Cuomo went on to threaten the city and her residents if they didn't stop testing positive for the COVID-19 coronavirus.
I’m concerned about the lack of testing in the schools. If the localities do not do testing immediately in the schools in those areas, the State will close them immediately.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo)
Testing has increased in the city, and there was an increased push for testing in these neighbourhoods, which undoubtedly is how the city knew that there was an increase in cases.
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