New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday that he’s considering imposing a mandatory two-week quarantine on individuals coming to the state from Florida.
The governor was asked about that during his daily coronavirus briefing and noted how the circumstances have changed over the last three-plus months.
As New York’s COVID-19 cases skyrocketed in March, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered a mandatory 14-day quarantine for people arriving there from New York, New Jersey or Connecticut. That order remains in effect.
However, as New York’s cases are subsiding, Florida’s are escalating. As Florida health officials announced more than 3,200 cases Thursday, signifying the highest one-day total in the state, an infectious disease expert told CNN Thursday that Florida could become the next hot spot, thanks mainly to the large elderly population.
On Wednesday, New York conducted more than 68,000 tests, Cuomo said, with less than 1 percent of those coming back as positive.
“Who would've believed this 180 turnaround?” Cuomo said. “I haven't made a decision yet, but I have had experts advise me of that. It is a real concern.”
With Florida and several other states have started seeing spikes in caseloads after reopening, the ongoing situation made Cuomo remember the “Tale of Two Cities” speech his father gave at the 1984 Democratic National Convention.
He also criticized those who have been critical themselves of the changes in models and projects about the number of cases and deaths the country is expected to have.
“The model wasn't wrong,” he said. “The model isn't a model. It's an extrapolation. They're saying by this number of deaths last week, which is now increasing, we extrapolate to tell you more people are going to die based on what you did and what you're doing.”
The increases in the projections should serve as a wake-up call for the entire country to abide by social distancing guidelines and to wear masks to prevent the spread of the disease, he said.
As part of that, the governor announced Thursday that he’s bolstered state enforcement capabilities. The state Liquor Authority now has the power to immediately revoke a liquor license from a bar or restaurant found to not comply with the state’s reopening plan. Bars also will be responsible for the sidewalks in front of their premises.
While the state will ratchet up enforcement, Cuomo called on local officials to continue doing their part as well.
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