New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Sunday announced he is extending his stay at home order for another two weeks until April 15. The order surpasses President Donald Trump's goal of reopening the country and the economy by Easter, which falls on April 12.
New York State – and New York City in particular – have been the epicenter of the Wuhan coronavirus outbreak. According to FOX 5 in Syracuse, the number of Wuhan coronavirus-related deaths in the state jumped to 965 as of Sunday. Of those deaths, 678 have been in the city.
“We’re going to need another two weeks," Cuomo said during his press conference on Sunday, Syracuse.com reported.
In addition to extending his stay at home order, Cuomo is expanding his ban on "non-essential" gatherings. The move will put a damper on Christians' Easter celebration and Jews' Passover celebration.
“It’s hard. But on the flip side, I say look what happened in New Rochelle. Those were religious gatherings,” the governor said, referring to the number of Wuhan coronavirus infections that occurred as a result of a gathering at a synagogue. “You worship the way you can, but the gatherings are just not a good idea."
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump floated the idea of quarantining New York State, New Jersey and parts of Connecticut to keep the Wuhan coronavirus from spreading. Ultimately, President Trump told the Center for Disease Control to issue a travel advisory, "urging residents to refrain from non-essential domestic travel for 14 days effective immediately."