“Over the river and through the woods, To grandmother’s house we go.” Maybe not this year, not if more than 10 family and friends are coming, not if Gov. Andrew Cuomo has anything to say about.
Under the current litany of COVID-19 restrictions imposed on New York residents by Gov. Andrew Cuomo is a limit of 10 people at gatherings in a private residence, like a traditional Thanksgiving Day dinner. The governor’s dictate covers all areas of the state, not just people who live in a restrictive multi-cluster zone, where the positivity rate of COVID-19 testing is higher than what state officials consider normal. Cuomo’s concern is family spread caused by families unknowingly spreading the virus when confined to indoor spaces too small for social distancing.
“This living room spread is the new problem, and it will go up after Thanksgiving,” Cuomo said, adding there will be a “tremendous spike” after the holiday in COVID-19 cases.
“It’s going to happen because it’s human behavior,” he said. “My advice on Thanksgiving? Don’t be a turkey.”
Not everyone agrees with Cuomo’s hunker-down mentality. Some sheriffs in northern New York have scoffed at the idea of going door-to-door from house to house to count the number of guests around the Thanksgiving table.
Cuomo says his executive order is a law and police enforce the law. “I don’t believe as a law enforcement officer you have a right to pick and choose what laws you will enforce,” Cuomo told reporters last week during an Albany-based press conference.
Thanksgiving gatherings at catering hall or other event space is capped at 25 people in a Yellow Zone or 50 people in areas not under a cluster zone designation.
