Temples, churches, mosques and other religious buildings will be considered part of the state’s “phase two” reopening plan starting Saturday, Cuomo said. Houses of worship that reopen will be limited to 25 percent of the building’s normal capacity, the governor said.
The metrics and health data across the state are very positive.
Taking that into account, churches, mosques and temples can reopen with 25% occupancy and with social distancing as part of Phase 2.
This starts immediately for regions currently in Phase 2.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 6, 2020
“Yes 25 percent occupancy is not as easy at 100 percent occupancy, but 100 percent occupancy is a mass gathering. You really can’t do social distancing… Be smart. Be smart. It doesn’t mean you go to a temple or a mosque and you sit right next to a person. You still have to socially distance,” Cuomo said during his Saturday press conference.
New York State is seeing a downward trend in coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths, Cuomo said. Social distancing measures were put in place in March to curb the spread of the deadly virus in order to “flatten the curve” of infections to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed. Cuomo said Saturday that New York — which saw one of the worst outbreaks anywhere in the world — has effectively “bent the curve.”
35 New Yorkers died of #Coronavirus yesterday. This is a record low since this crisis began.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) June 6, 2020
Only 35 New York residents died of coronavirus Friday, which was New York’s lowest recorded number since the disease’s exponential spread in March. At the peak of the disease, New York recorded more than 800 deaths on some days.