You can now search your address using the City's new COVID-19 Zone Finder to find out whether you are located in a COVID-19 hotspot or newly restricted color-coded zone.
On Wednesday, Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo announced new restrictions for the color-coded zones to combat a surge in COVID-19 cases in nine ZIP codes across Central and Southern Brooklyn, and more across Queens and other New York State counties.
The zones are red, orange and yellow. Red zones face the largest increase in coronavirus cases and the most severe restrictions, followed by orange, then yellow. Schools within the red and orange zones have to close immediately and return to full remote learning for at least the next two weeks.
Red zone restrictions include:
- Houses of worship may remain open at 25% capacity, up to a maximum of 10 people, whichever is fewer.
- Non-essential gatherings of any size are prohibited and must be postponed or cancelled. Any individual who encourages, promotes or organizes mass gatherings may be fined up to $15,000/day.
- All nonessential businesses are required to close. Only essential businesses as designated by New York State Empire State Development Corporation can remain open.
- Restaurants, bars, cafes and other food service establishments can provide takeout and delivery service only. No indoor or outdoor dining is allowed.
- All New York City public schools and nonpublic schools must close and return to full remote learning.
Orange zone restrictions include:
- Houses of worship may remain open at 33% capacity, up to a maximum of 25 people, whichever is fewer.
- Non-essential gatherings must be limited to no more than 10 people for both indoor and outdoor settings. Any individual who encourages, promotes or organizes mass gatherings may be fined up to $15,000/day.
- Businesses including gyms and fitness centers and personal care services, including barbers, hair salons, spas, tattoo or piercing parlors, nail technicians and nail salons, cosmetologists, estheticians, the provision of laser hair removal and electrolysis, etc. must close.
- Restaurants, bars, cafes and other food service establishments can provide outdoor dining and takeout and delivery service only. There is a four-person maximum per table. No indoor dining is allowed.
- All New York City public schools and nonpublic schools must close and return to full remote learning.
Yellow zone restrictions include:
- Houses of worship may remain open at 50% maximum capacity.
- Non-essential gatherings must be limited to 25 people maximum for both indoor and outdoor settings. Any individual who encourages, promotes or organizes mass gatherings may be fined up to $15,000/day.
- All businesses may remain open but must follow COVID-19 requirements for their sector.
- Indoor and outdoor dining is allowed. There is a four-person maximum per table.
- All New York City public schools and nonpublic schools may remain open. Testing guidance will be issued by New York State on Friday, 10/9/2020.
The new restrictions have been met by protest in the Orthodox Jewish community, with crowds taking to the streets in Borough Park the past two nights. Protestors, led by Orthodox Populist Heshy Tischler, have burned masks, chased out journalists and are facing accusations of assault.
On Wednesday, de Blasio tweeted: "We know this is hard. We know we're asking families, small business owners and every New Yorker who calls these clusters home to make a huge sacrifice. But this is about protecting the health of our entire city. The faster this shutdown happens, the sooner it's over."
