De Blasio vows plan to reduce density in parks during coronavirus crisis
People shop in a farmers market in Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Saturday. Credit: Getty Images North America/Spencer Platt
Mayor Bill de Blasio promised he will provide the state with a plan to reduce density in New York City parks and playgrounds on Monday, just hours after Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo ripped residents for congregating in public spaces during the coronavirus crisis.
Cuomo said he gave de Blasio and City Council Speaker Corey Johnson 24 hours to develop a plan to reduce density in public spaces after seeing people crowd into parks over the weekend and treating the crisis like a three-day weekend.
“It is insensitive, arrogant, self-destructive, disrespectful to other people, and it has to stop and it has to stop now,” Cuomo said Sunday morning during his daily press briefing on the coronavirus pandemic.
The city has already banned team sports in public spaces and revoked permits for large gatherings. NYPD and Parks Department officers are patrolling parks and playgrounds to enforce social distancing.
The mayor and NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said during a news conference in Manhattan on Sunday afternoon that most New Yorkers are complying with rules aimed at slowing the spread of the virus that has infected more than 9,000 city residents. But they acknowledged that not everybody has taken official pleas for social distancing seriously, and they said parks could be shut down completely if residents continue to congregate in unsafe numbers.
“When we say you can go out for some exercise we are not saying you can linger,” de Blasio said. “We’re not saying you can make a day of it. We are saying get a minimum amount of exercise, get what you need and get back indoors. Same with grocery shopping. Go get what you need, get back inside.”
The mayor urged parents who bring their kids to playgrounds to be especially careful. Kids can play with siblings, parents and anybody else they live with, he said, but they should not socialize with anyone else.
A Newsday reporter who visited Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Friday and Saturday said it was teeming with people, some walking and jogging individually but many congregating in groups.
Shea said the NYPD began a new series of patrols aimed at reminding residents to practice safe social distancing. It also began visiting supermarkets, pharmacies, hair salons and nail salons to make sure they are complying with coronavirus rules.
The NYPD said Sunday in the previous 24 hours it issued three verbal warnings for crowd control after officers visited 1,647 supermarkets and pharmacies in the city. More than 4,100 of the 5,559 bars and restaurants visited by police were closed. A summons was issued to a business in the Bronx for failure to comply, while two people were arrested in Queens in connection with an unlicensed bottle club.
“We are proud of our officers. They are a front line in public safety, awareness and education. They’ve always been there for us and they are there for us now during this challenging time,” said Chief of Patrol Fausto Pichardo.
Police on Long Island say most residents in Suffolk and Nassau counties have also been responsible during the coronavirus crisis.
“Although certain individuals will ignore this protocol, the majority of our residents continue to follow them in order to stop the spread of the coronavirus,” Nassau police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said in a prepared statement Sunday. “If we are called to this type of situation, we will approach those congregating and ask them to respect the social distancing rule.”
Suffolk County police said they have been monitoring businesses to make sure they are complying with mandatory closures and occupancy limits since last week. “The department has received 27 reports of noncompliance since March 18. During those 27 checks, five businesses were found in noncompliance and the occupants of the locations were told to vacate the premises and advised of the regulations,” Suffolk police said in a statement. “No citations were issued.”
State parks and trails remain open for solitary activities. The governor has waived entrance fees during the coronavirus crisis. All public programs and events have been suspended, and many indoor visitor facilities have been shut down until further notice.
