Rockland Coronavirus: $1K Fines For Social Distancing Offenses

NEW CITY, NY — As the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus jumped to 5,703 in Rockland County, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo took a tough stance on social distancing offenders — with fines increased to $1,000 from $500.

"Frankly, there has been a laxness that is just wholly unacceptable," he said during his daily news briefing Monday. "People in the health care system are exposing themselves every day, taking tremendous risk walking into those emergency rooms. If you can't show discipline for yourself, show discipline for other people. You don't have a right to burden other people with your irresponsibility."

Asked by a reporter about ultra-Orthodox communities in Rockland and Brooklyn holding funerals and weddings, he said he did not care who was engaged in reckless behavior or why. They have no right to endanger the staff that has to treat them at the risk of infecting their own families, he said.

"Now is not the time to play frisbee in the park, now is not the time to go to a funeral with 200 people," he said.

A controversy with Rockland's Ultra-Orthodox community at its core has swirled around the county government, the town of Ramapo and the state. To enforce social distancing, County Executive Ed Day asked for a containment zone around Monsey and Spring Valley, where the highest number of cases are concentrated.

Officials in Orange County have asked for the same thing for the Kiryas Joel community. SEE: Coronavirus: Towns Ask Cuomo For Palm Tree Containment Area

Advocates for the Hasidic community say it's anti-Semitism.

Day also asked the governor's office to clarify the ability of local governments to enforce the state's emergency orders, saying his district attorney and county sheriff were citing a ruling from the New York District Attorney's Association that the language in the orders made them unenforceable "helpful hints." SEE: Coronavirus: Rockland 'Beyond Fed Up'

After the governor's news conference, Rockland County District Attorney Thomas Walsh issued a statement:

My office has been working closely with police officials and municipal attorneys, to navigate through the very difficult situation facing Rockland County since the outbreak of this life changing pandemic. The Rockland County District Attorney’s Office will prosecute any violation of a lawful order, based upon the facts and evidence, presented by a local law enforcement agency. We respectfully ask the great residents of Rockland County to strictly adhere to social distancing and maintain general hygiene in an effort to work together to defeat this pandemic. We want to thank our first responders and medical personnel for their tireless efforts in this tragic situation.

Cuomo's comments were stronger than when the topic came up at his Sunday briefing.

"We work very closely with the community in Monsey, I get the issue," Cuomo said Sunday. "We're coming into Easter Week, Passover. You can't have large gatherings where you can have 1-2 people infecting many others. The virus is a non-religious enemy."

On Sunday, state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker said he had spoken to rabbis and some local officials in Rockland, reminding them about the reasons for the state's order banning gatherings and closing houses of worship and schools. Also on Sunday, Cuomo's aide Melissa DeRosa said local governments can levy building code violations and enforce penalties if the occupancy at a venue or gathering space violates the state's order.

In addition to doubling the fine for social-distancing violations, on Monday, Cuomo announced that he would extend the New York State on PAUSE order, with all non-essential businesses and schools closed until April 29.

"I'm not going to choose between public health and economic activity," Cuomo said. "There is also a real danger in getting over confident too quickly. This is an enemy we have underestimated from Day 1 and we have paid the price dearly."

While he said it may seem as if the numbers may be turning, "it's not over." Other places including South Korea and Hong Kong, he said, "made that mistake. We're not going to make that mistake."