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Coronavirus Live Updates: Cuomo says concert venues, comedy clubs too dangerous to reopen

COVID-19 Live Updates, News and Information

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Too dangerous: Reopening concert venues not a priority

Concert venues like Madison Square Garden and comedy clubs are still too dangerous to reopen, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Concert venues like Madison Square Garden and comedy clubs are still too dangerous to reopen, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

"I am not in this job to cause people pain, so help me God, I want to say yes to everything," he said. "I want to see jobs and economy come back...We are not out of the woods. Everyone is feeling confident, good. Cocky is not good, and we are still in this."

Cuomo says it's also important to see what happens with colleges and kids being back at school, and with numbers already going up, it's important to keep an eye on everything before reopening more things he believes are not "essential."

"The rule is, you don't want to go over 1% infection rate,' he said. "Open as many things as you can to stay at 1%, that's what I'm doing...I have my foot down on the gas pedal as far as I can push it without going over the speed limit."

What to know about coronavirus:

Back to school information

How coronavirus changed the New York region

Do you have coronavirus symptoms?

What's Open, What's Closed in the Tri-State area

Here are more of today's headlines:

LIST: 56 New York City schools with confirmed cases of COVID-19

The Department of Education has released a full list of the 56 schools across New York City where there has been a confirmed case of COVID-19.

Mexican toilet paper popping up in US stores amid coronavirus-induced shortages of American brands

Toilet paper is back on store shelves. But you may not recognize some of the brands.

Demand for toilet paper has been so high during the pandemic that in order to keep their shelves stocked, retailers are buying up foreign toilet paper brands, mostly from Mexico. Major chains across the country including CVS, Piggly Wiggly, Safeway, 7-Eleven and others, are carrying the international brands.

High School senior suspended entire year after protesting remote learning

The high school student on Long Island who was suspended and then arrested for insisting on in-person learning has now been suspended for the rest of the school year.

Maverick Stow, 17, received a letter from the superintendent of William Floyd Union Free School District that he has been suspended through June 30, 2021 for insubordination. The suspension includes all senior extra-curricular event like prom and graduation.

NYC Fashion Week gets makeover amid coronavirus pandemic

Fashion Week runs through Thursday in New York City, but it looks a lot different than in years past.

New York announces revisions to nursing home visitation rules

New York health officials announced revisions to nursing home visitation guidelines across the state on Tuesday.

The revised guidelines, which go into effect on Thursday, say that nursing homes can reopen to visitors if they have not had any positive COVID-19 cases for 14 days -- which is down from previous guidelines of 28 days.

Tri-State Travel Advisory update

One territory has been added to the Tri-State Travel Advisory that requires travelers to self-quarantine for 14 days, while six states have been removed, officials announced Tuesday. Puerto Rico now meet the metrics for the quarantine, which applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. California, Hawaii, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada and Ohio have been removed.

Cuomo not cancelling Halloween trick-or-treating

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he will not cancel Halloween trick-or-treating in New York state, mirroring a similar promise from New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy last week. Cuomo said he will give parents "my advice and guidance," but then it will be up to them to decide if children go trick-or-treating.

"I would not ban trick-or-treaters going door-to-door," Cuomo said during a phone interview with News 12 Long Island. "I don't think that's appropriate. You have neighbors. If you want to go knock on your neighbors door, God bless you."

NJ high school pauses sports, extracurricular activities after large party in the woods

A large gathering of students without masks or social distancing has prompted a New Jersey high school to halt all sports and extracurricular activities. The after school activities are on pause at Verona High School for at least two weeks following the party in the woods and reports of a possible coronavirus case. Verona had already gone virtual, with students spending hours at home learning remotely. But now, many of them have lost their outlet of sports, activities and band practice after a weekend party where it appears proper precautions were not being practiced.

Paul Rudd challenges young people to 'Mask Up'

Actor Paul Rudd says he's got a challenge for millennials - he wants you to "Mask Up, America." New York Governor Andrew Cuomo today launched the latest "Mask Up, America" campaign video featuring Rudd. The two-minute video is aimed at young adults to inform them of the importance of wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic to protect themselves and others.

NYC mayor says companies should start to plan workers' return

As children return to school in the suburbs and next Monday in New York City, some wondered when will they be asked to return to work. Some companies like JP Morgan Chase and L'Oreal have already asked workers to return in-person. But Mayor Bill de Blasio said that in his view the city is in the planning stages of figuring that out. He said the city with 380,000 employees, bringing them back will have a very big impact on the city.

"I think everyone should start the process now of determining how to do that," he said.

NYC teachers raise new concerns over schools' readiness

There are real concerns that some New York City teachers might refuse to show up for the first day of class amid concerns over COVID-19 safety. At a protest on Monday in Brooklyn, teachers highlighted their concern over the fact that a handful of schools in the city that still lack proper ventilation. The United Federation of Teachers (UFT) also claims that 2000 additional teachers being brought in by the city to cover the new mix of in-person and virtual learning are not enough.

4 cases of COVID-19 reported in NYU freshman dorm

Four New York University students have now tested positive for COVID-19. School officials say they all live in the freshman dorm, Rubin Hall, in Greenwich Village. All 400 residents in the building have been asked to quarantine until at least the end of Tuesday.

Piece of antibody found to neutralize virus

There is a glimpse of hope in treating and possibly preventing COVID-19. Scientists with the University of Pittsburgh say they have identified a small piece of an antibody that neutralizes the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. They used the molecule to create a drug they believe can treat and even stop the virus from spreading. Researchers say the drug has been tested on mice and hamsters.

They used the molecule to create a drug they believe can treat and even stop the virus from spreading.

Push for flu shots in NYC

New York City is urging residents to "Get your flu shot" in a new citywide ad campaign. People will notice ads on subways, bus shelters, Staten Island ferry, neighborhood businesses, newspapers tv, radio, and elsewhere. "We do it not just for ourselves but for everybody else," Mayor de Blasio said.

MORE NEWS: Watch Eyewitness to a Pandemic

The sense of doom grew, especially after March 1, when the first confirmed case arrived in Manhattan. Soon, there was a hotspot in New Rochelle, and small curfews and containment zones across the area offered a hint of a frightening future we still thought we could avoid.