NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – Mayor Bill de Blasio said Friday that New York City is opening up more than seven miles of streets to pedestrians and bicyclists as the weather warms amid the coronavirus lockdown.
New York City on Friday reported 2,293 new COVID-19 cases and 429 new confirmed deaths.
As of Thursday evening, the city had a total of 164,505 positive cases, as well as 13,000 confirmed fatalities and 5,231 probable fatalities, for a combined death toll of 18,231, according to data released Friday afternoon.
The seven miles of streets, which are opening Saturday, are in or around parks in all five boroughs. Opening the streets will ease crowding and help people social distance as more people head outside, the mayor said. For weeks, advocates have been pushing for "open streets" plans across the city so New Yorkers can safely go outside.
The streets are in or near these parks in each borough. Signs and barricades will designate areas safe for pedestrians:
- Manhattan: Fort Tryon Park, Carl Schurz Park and Lt. William Tighe Triangle
- Brooklyn: Callahan-Kelly Park, Williamsburg Oval and Prospect Park
- Queens: Flushing Meadows, Forest Hill Park and Court Square
- The Bronx: Grant Park and Highbridge Park
- Staten Island: Silver Lake Park and Stapleton Waterfront Park
The seven miles of open streets is the first part of a plan to open up 40 miles of streets in May, with the goal of opening 100 miles. The mayor and City Council agreed on a plan earlier this week.
"The goal here is more space, more social distancing," de Blasio said, adding that it was important to create spaces that wouldn't encourage large gatherings. "This is going to be well-protected and well-regulated space."
Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot said the FDNY, NYPD and Parks Department all worked together on the decision.
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De Blasio focused much of his Friday briefing on the overall picture of the coronavirus crisis, saying the city has made real progress in beating back COVID-19 but that "this virus is tragically still alive and well and living in this city."
Pointing out the new month, the mayor said he hopes May is a "transcendent month."
"I hope it will be a month when we make profound progress," de Blasio said.
"Spring fever. We're all going to feel it more and more," he said. "Particularly, our young people are restless."
But the mayor warned that people must continue to practice social distancing and stay at home so key indicators tracking the virus continue to improve. He said the city isn't out of the woods yet.
"Anyone who wants to get back to normalcy, that toughness you're displaying, that discipline, is the way back," de Blasio said.
De Blasio said new admissions to hospitals for suspected COVID-19 were 850 on March 31. That number dropped to 383 on April 11 and to 136 on April 29.
Critical care patients at public hospitals numbered 887 on April 14. That number dropped to 786 on April 24 and to 704 on Friday.
The percentage of New York City residents who tested positive citywide was 71 percent on March 31. That figure dropped to 23 percent by Friday.
De Blasio said the numbers show coronavirus is "decelerating" in the city. He said May will be pivotal in getting the city back to normal through widespread testing and tracing, as well as the effort by individual New Yorkers to keep adhering to lockdown orders.
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