BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced all of Erie County is under a micro-cluster zone, with parts previously in the yellow micro-cluster zone now upgraded to orange status.[SEE map below] Rural areas that had no micro-cluster status are now in the yellow zone.
The governor also announced the City of North Tonawanda in Niagara County is under a yellow-zone.
“There can be a sense of denial that we’re immune from this and it’s not going to happen here like it happened in New York or New Jersey,” Cuomo said. “Yes it is and it can. It’s happening…Western New York never lived the full pain of COVID’s wrath. Western New York read about New York City and read about Long Island. They watched it on the TV news, but the numbers were never as bad in Western New York.”
Under the orange zone designation, high-risk businesses like gyms, barber shops, hair salons, and personal care services are closed.
Restaurants are now limited to outdoor dining or takeout and deliver. Schools will also close. Places of worship only allow 33 percent capacity or 25 people. The changes take effect on Friday for businesses and on Monday for schools.
Under the yellow micro-cluster zone, all businesses are allowed to stay open. Restaurants can have indoor dining. Schools are also allowed to stay open but must test 20 percent of its population every other week. Places of worship can operate at 50 percent capacity.
The hardest hit areas in Erie County all have a positive test rate of greater than five percent. The Town of Hamburg’s rate is 9.78 percent. Lancaster has a 9.42 percent rate. Other hard-hit areas include Orchard Park (7.51 percent), Buffalo (7.3 percent), and Tonawanda (6.84 percent).
Cuomo said Western New York never felt the same level of reality as places like New York City.
“You will see a tremendous spike after Thanksgiving,” Cuomo said. “No scientific data and no health commissioner said that. That’s my personal theory. Why? Thanksgiving is a holiday and people come together. If you don’t have a real fear about COVID, you’re going to come together. You see people saying ‘nobody’s going to stop me from coming together’…it’s going to happen. It’s going to happen because it’s human behavior.”
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