A rising number of COVID-19 cases has expanded the Yellow Precautionary Zone in Niagara County and landed the City of Batavia in Genesee County in a new Yellow Zone, effective Wednesday.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement Monday. A geographic area enters the Yellow Zone if it has an average 3% positivity rate over the past 10 days, is in the top 10% in the state for hospital admissions per capita over the past week, and is experiencing week-over-week growth in daily admissions.
"There is no politics or rhetoric in the number of people going into the hospital and the increase in hospitalizations could overwhelm some regions if nothing changes by January," Cuomo said. "That's the trajectory we're looking at and trying to change."
State restrictions mandated for Yellow Zones:
- Businesses can be open.
- Indoor and outdoor dining is permitted, but with a 4-person maximum at each table and no food or drink served after 10 p.m.
- Schools can be open, if at least 20% of in-person students and faculty are tested weekly.
- Houses of worship can be open, at no more than 50% capacity.
- Residential gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people, indoor or outdoor.
- Non-residential gatherings are limited to a maximum of 25 people, indoor or outdoor.
Niagara County has seen 6,016 COVID cases, including 110 new cases and 3 deaths reported Monday. Genesee County has seen 1,646 cases, including 44 new cases and 2 deaths as of Monday.
To find a New York State COVID hot spot by address, click here.
To view daily hospitalizations by New York State region, click here.
To view hospital capacity by U.S. facility, click here.
