De Blasio says New Yorkers should prepare for another full lockdown  

‘We need to prepare for the possibility of a full shutdown’: De blasio says ‘all forms of restrictions are on the table’ as New Yorkers are warned to brace themselves for a lockdown like April which could last WEEKS

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday the city had to prepare for another ‘full shutdown’ similar to what was seen in April as COVID cases continue to rise. 

‘There’s the potential of having to do a full pause, a full shutdown, in the coming weeks, because we can’t let this kind of momentum go. 

‘We’re seeing the kind of level of infection with the coronavirus we haven’t seen since May and we have got to stop that momentum — or else, our hospital system will be threatened,’ he said in an interview on CNN.  

Indoor dining closed in New York City on Monday despite the industry saying the decision would put many out of business. Outdoor dining is still allowed but with two snowstorms on the way this week, even that is under threat. 

Aside from that, gyms and non-essential businesses like nail salons or barber shops remain open. 

Offices are also open but on a reduced capacity and kids went back to school on Monday. De Blasio doesn’t make the rules – Cuomo does. 

Over the weekend, Cuomo told The New York Times: ‘If you extrapolate out at this rate of growth, you could be looking at the shutdown of New York City within a month.’  

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday the city had to prepare for another ‘full shutdown’ similar to what was seen in April as COVID cases continue to rise

New York’s COVID-19 test positivity rate is far lower than many other states and is nowhere near as high as it was in March and April. 

Critics have blasted de Blasio and Cuomo for ‘destroying’ the city with what they have called unnecessary shut-downs.  

Despite the comparatively low rates and even though the first vaccines were administered on Monday in New York, de Blasio said he agreed with Cuomo’s comments and said every type of restriction was ‘on the table.’ 

Many restaurants have created outdoor eating spaces to get around the restrictions but with 12 inches of snow due to fall, they’ve been told they’ll have to remove them. 

‘The best of all worlds is to have the ability to easily remove what they’ve built for outdoor. 

‘When we expect major snow it’s important they remove their equipment to facilitate snow cleaning,’ he said. 

Between six and 12 inches of snow are scheduled to fall on Tuesday and Wednesday. 

The city said it’ll continue to work with the weather service for updates before telling restaurants whether or not they need to remove their outdoor dining structures. 

Many are compliant with the rules – which state there must be three openings – but some are not. 

Some restaurants have created what look like greenhouses and have planted them outside, prompting many to ask why they’re allowed.