New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Friday he is ordering all workers in non-essential businesses to stay home and banning gatherings statewide in an effort to combat the coronavirus outbreak. “Only essential businesses can have workers commuting to the job or on the job,” Cuomo said of an executive order he will sign on Friday.
Non-essential gatherings of any size are canceled or postponed, he said. The new rules will go into effect on Sunday.
Cuomo spoke after California woke up to a new reality Friday: A stay-at-home order is now in effect for the entire state of 40 million people. The order will remain in place “until further notice” and allows for “essential services” including grocery stores, gas stations and banks to stay open.
By Friday, the pandemic had killed more than 10,000 people worldwide and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is rapidly climbing. There are more than 14,000 cases in the United States and 247,000 cases globally. Italy now tops China as the country with the most deaths: more than 4,000.
Congress is trying to deal with the economic fallout. Two relief bills have already been passed and signed. A “phase three” bill unveiled by Senate Republicans Thursday will now be debated. It includes rebates of $1,200 for most individuals who reported less than $75,000 on their 2018 tax returns, or $2,400 per couple who filed their taxes jointly and made less than $150,000.
Another $500 would be added for every dependent child. Low-income Americans with at least $2,500 of qualified income, but who do not earn enough to pay income tax, get a smaller benefit of $600, or $1,200 for couples.
Visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website for detailed information on coronavirus treatment and prevention.
