New York City Coronavirus Rule Violations Net $150K in Fines

New York City handed out 62 tickets amounting to more than $150,000 in fines during a weekend crackdown on violators of newly imposed restrictions in coronavirus hot spots, the city government Twitter account said Sunday.

Among those issued summons by New York City Sheriff Joseph Fucito’s office were a restaurant and at least five houses of worship in areas designated “red zones,” where COVID-19 infection rates are highest.

New restrictions imposed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo took effect Thursday in hot spots in Brooklyn and Queens as well as Broome, Orange and Rockland counties. The restrictions limit attendance at all houses of worship in the hot spots to 25% capacity or a maximum of 10 people. The rules also prohibit mass gatherings and close schools and nonessential businesses.

In his briefing Sunday, Cuomo said the percentage of New Yorkers testing positive for COVID-19 statewide dipped below 1% Saturday for the first time in weeks, but the number hospitalized with the virus has doubled since early September.

Of about 118,000 tests reported to the state on Saturday, 1,143 were positive. There were 820 people hospitalized with the virus on Saturday, twice as many as on Sept. 5. Cuomo connected the rise in hospitalizations to hot spot communities were infection rates are higher than the state average.