Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Friday, Dec. 11, new metrics by which micro-cluster focus zones will be determined to help control COVID-19 spread
and protect hospital capacity.  Additionally, Cuomo announced new directives to further grow hospital capacity, as well as updated calibrations to business
guidelines based on recent Centers for Disease Control, CDC, guidance, advice of public health experts, and data from state’s contact tracing program.

Under these calibrated business guidelines, indoor dining in New York City was suspended on Monday, Dec. 14. “We invested very heavily in doing COVID testing, and we do more testing than any state in the nation.  That gives us actual facts that we can base our actions upon,” Cuomo said.  “This is not high science we’re applying here—these are common-sense rules.  Where the virus is highest, you have to take action.  This pandemic has required us to stay
nimble from the very beginning and we will continue to follow the data to make smart, informed decisions.”

Updated Zone Metrics

As New York has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor and New York State Department of Health have made it a priority to continuously calibrate the metrics governing restrictions to protect public health, without causing undue harm to the economy.  Under these updated metrics, micro-cluster zones will now be determined as follows:

Red Zone
A red zone will be implemented in a region where hospital capacity is within 21 days of reaching 90%, even after the cancellation of elective procedures and a
50% increase in bed capacity in hospitals in the region.

Orange Zone
A geographic area will be eligible to enter an Orange Zone ifit has a 4% positivity rate (7-day average) over the last 10 days and it is located in a region that
has reached 85% hospital capacity.  Alternatively, a geographic area may also become an Orange Zone if the state Department of Health determines the area or region’s rate of hospital admissions is unacceptably high and a zone designation is appropriate to control the rate of growth.

Yellow Zone
A geographic area will be eligible to enter a Yellow Zone if it has a 3% positivity rate (7-day average) over the past 10 days and is in the top 10% in the state for hospital admissions per capita over the past week and is experiencing week-over-week growth in daily admissions.
(Submitted)