You are reading

De Blasio Recommends Full Shutdown of NYC Businesses After Christmas

Mayor Bill de Blasio Photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office

Dec. 15, 2020 By Allie Griffin

Mayor Bill de Blasio said New York City could face a second shutdown after Christmas–should COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

“We’re dealing with a second wave…,” de Blasio said. “We’re going to need to do some kind of shutdown in the weeks ahead.”

The mayor said that while the state ultimately makes the call as to whether to close nonessential businesses, he would recommend a shutdown go into effect following the major holiday.

“My nomination would be right after Christmas,” the mayor said.

The holiday season is expected to cause a significant uptick in the already soaring number of new COVID-19 cases, health experts say. On Sunday, the number of new cases climbed to more than 2,800 — far above the city’s ideal threshold of 550 new cases.

“We want to be under 550,” de Blasio said. “It’s going to take weeks and weeks to get back down there, but we will, especially now that we have the vaccine on our side.”

De Blasio estimated that nearly 41,000 doses of the vaccine would be disbursed across 42 hospitals around the city by the end of Tuesday.

“Today we start the beginning of a new era,” de Blasio said. “Today we begin the work of ensuring that the vaccine reaches as many New Yorkers as possible as quickly as possible.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Rego Park sex offender pleads guilty to charges of sexually exploiting young girls on Long Island: Feds

A convicted sex offender from Rego Park pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child and admitted to soliciting and receiving sexually explicit images and videos from four young girls during a plea hearing in the federal courthouse in Central Islip on Friday. Anthony Pangallo, 41, faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and up to 50 years in prison.

According to court filings and statements during the plea proceeding, Pangallo was initially arrested on May 20, 2021, at his Rego Park residence, on state charges filed in Westport, Connecticut. Those charges, which remain pending, involved a 15-year-old victim whom Pangallo met online and manipulated into sending him sexually explicit images of herself.

Queens Together launches ‘Unofficial US Open Dining Guide’ encouraging fans to sample restaurants along the 7 line

Aug. 20, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

The US Open returns to Flushing Meadows Corona Park this Sunday, with more than 1 million attendees anticipated to take mass transit to the iconic annual tennis event. With hundreds of thousands of fans set to take the 7 out to the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, there is a world of delicious local eateries lying beneath the elevated train tracks should any fan wish to stop en-route to the US Open.

Can Queens’ food scene thrive with both trucks and restaurants?

Aug. 19, 2025 By Jessica Militello

In Jackson Heights at 4 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon, Roosevelt Avenue is buzzing with energy as commuters file in and out of subway cars and onto the street and cars and trucks grapple to get down the busy road. The street is filled with rows of shops and restaurants, along with food carts, street vendors and food trucks along the avenue. The almost-but-not-quite the weekend lag leaves hungry commuters faced with another choice to make throughout their day and the array of food truck options in busy areas like Jackson Heights offers customers convenience and delicious food without breaking the bank, two features that can feel vital, particularly with rising costs of living and pressure from inflation.