New York Post, Tuesday, December 1, 2020
nypost.com
outbreak
By Bernadette Hogan,
Carl Campanile
and Kate SHeeHyGov. Cuomo on Monday crowed
to reporters that his push for mask-
wearing helped curb New York’s
COVID-19 cases — even as he and
his entire panel of aides sat in the
closed room without ever putting
theirs on.
“What worked in the spring, and
the reason you’re wearing a mask
today, is because we told the truth,
and New Yorkers responded,’’ Cu-
omo said at the Manhattan press
conference.
Cuomo’s spokespeople, photog-rapher and members of his state-
trooper security detail had masks
on, as did all of the reporters in the
room, which held about two dozen
people.
The bare-faced governor and his
team were all at least six feet apart,
but the room is so small that video
and photography had to be pooled
because there isn’t enough space
for more than a dozen or so report-
ers to safely distance.
Cuomo was announcing imme-
diate emergency measures the
state is taking to try to stave off an-
other disastrous bout of the coro-
navirus amid surging cases and
hospitalizations. Ironically, he saidat the event that nearly two-thirds
of the state’s COVID-19 cases stem
from “spreader’’ small gatherings.
With Cuomo were state Health
Commissioner Howard Zucker,
SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras,
state Budget Director Robert Mu-
jica, aide Melissa DeRosa and De-
partment of Financial Services
honcho Gareth Rhodes.
The panel’s flouting of what
would seem to be a no-brainer pre-
caution comes after the Centers
for Disease Control and Preven-
tion has warned on its Web site,
“There is evidence that under cer-
tain conditions, people with COV-
ID-19 seem to have infected othersGetty ImagesYule regret
going to
see the
tree: Blas
Virus ‘curtails’ courts
The federal court district that covers
Manhattan, The Bronx and several
other New York counties will suspend
in-person proceedings starting Tues-
day because of the coronavirus.
Chief Judge Colleen McMahon of
the Southern District of New York
said in a Monday order that the in-
person pause will last until Jan. 15.
“This temporary curtailment of op-
erations is required to preserve public
health and safety in light of the recent
spike in coronavirus cases, both na-
tionally and within the Southern Dis-
trict of New York,” McMahon said in
the written order.
“There will be no trials or other in-
person proceedings conducted at anyof the courthouses in the District.”
Jury trials at the district’s court-
houses will be suspended, while civil
proceedings and criminal matters will
carry on remotely, according to the
order.
The court similarly suspended jury
trials in March during the initial onset
of the COVID-19 outbreak in the
metro area.
The Southern District of New York
encompasses the counties of New
York, Bronx, Westchester, Rockland,
Putnam, Orange, Dutchess and Sulli-
van and draws jurors from all eight.
The court hears cases in Manhattan,
White Plains, and Poughkeepsie.
Kenneth Garger