You are reading

New York Memorial Day Services Can Go Ahead With Max 10 People: Cuomo

Justin Casey (Unsplash)

May 20, 2020 By Michael Dorgan

Governor Andrew Cuomo has announced that Memorial Day services to honor those who have died while serving in the military will be allowed to go ahead this weekend – with restrictions.

Ceremonies with a maximum of 10 people in attendance will be permitted, the governor said at a press briefing Tuesday.

The state will also allow vehicle-only parades to take part in ceremonies, he said.

“It is an important American tradition and we want to honor our veterans,” Cuomo said.

“I think we can do that and do it safely, he added.

Cuomo said that while he was granting permission for the services to proceed, the final decision will ultimately rest with local authorities.

Non-essential gatherings of people have been prohibited since March under the state’s stay-at-home order but the governor said he wanted families and veterans to be able to mark the occasion.

He hoped the ceremonies would be broadcast on TV to allow New Yorkers to participate in the tradition.

May 18, 2020- Buffalo, NY- Governor Andrew Cuomo holds daily COVID-19, Coronavirus press briefing (Darren McGee- Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

The announcement comes as key COVID-19 indicators continue to decline and government restrictions ease

There were 105 new deaths recorded across the state Monday and new hospital admissions are averaging at 335 per day, he said, citing official state data.

“We are back to where we started before this tragedy descended upon us,” he said.

Long Island, where the governor was speaking, is losing around 13 people per day to the virus compared to a high of about 100, he said.

“We saved many, many lives,” Cuomo said.

Albany and the Capital Region will begin reopening their economies from Wednesday, May 20, having met the state’s seven health-related requirements, he said. They will join Central New York, North Country, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, and Mohawk Valley. The Western New York region began its re-opening phase on Tuesday.

New York City, Long Island and Mid-Hudson have still not made the state’s threshold to reopen.

The city has only met four of the seven metrics required to begin reopening. It still falls short on having at least 30 percent of both hospital beds and ICU beds available. The city also has insufficient levels of diagnostic and contact tracing capacity – but is on track to meet that metric, according to the state’s regional monitoring dashboard.

The governor also announced that the state will pilot a new program that will allow visitors into some hospitals. Mount Sinai Queens is among the sixteen hospitals named in the program which will begin on May 26.

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.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

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

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

A hidden gem in Sunnyside: Bistro Punta Sal blends Peruvian and Italian flavors

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

On a quiet street in Sunnyside, Bistro Punta Sal has its French doors wide open, letting the late August breeze emanate throughout the space, which is ornate with flowers, paintings and an array of tables and chairs for intimate dinners with friends or a romantic date night. The cozy restaurant, located at 45-51 46th St., is a hidden gem in the neighborhood that is just waiting to be discovered, as the sights and aromas of the restaurant invite guests in. 

Off-duty paramedic spots South Richmond Hill two-alarm house fire that injures nine firefighters, two civilians on Friday morning: FDNY

Nine firefighters were injured, two of them seriously, and two civilians sustained minor injuries during a two-alarm house fire in South Richmond Hill on Friday morning, but it could have been worse if not for the actions of an off-duty veteran EMT.

Paramedic Craig Biscuiti was driving to work when he noticed a column of thick black smoke and heavy flames coming from the first floor of a two-story home at 95-36 111th St. just before 7:10 a.m.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.