Fox News Flash top headlines for December 7
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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday threatened to implement tighter restrictions on indoor dining statewide if hospitalization rates don't improve.
"If after 5 days a region's hospital rate has not stabilized, indoor dining will close or be reduced," Cuomo tweeted.
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In New York City, indoor dining would close entirely, he said. Meanwhile, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity in the rest of the state.
Last month, bars, restaurants and any other establishments with state liquor licenses to end indoor and outdoor dining by 10 p.m. after the governor said data showed “establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes” were contributing to the spread of the coronavirus. The order came just weeks after New York City restaurants were permitted to resume indoor dining at 25% capacity on Sept. 30 after months of being shut down.
However, Cuomo has repeatedly noted that hospital capacity has become a top concern for the state as cases and hospitalizations continue to rise.
"It's about hospital beds, it's about the ICU and it's about having enough staff and enough equipment," Cuomo said in a statement last week.
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The governor issued several emergency hospital measures to try and avoid another disastrous scenario that hospitals faced early on in the pandemic.
Cuomo directed hospitals to "identify retired staff, make plans to add 50% bed capacity" as well as confirm they had a 90-day stockpile of personal protective equipment.
"We’re closely monitoring hospital capacity and have implemented triggers to ensure hospitals have," Cuomo said.
Cuomo also warned that the surge in holiday travel will have a "profound impact" on the infection rate.
"When people start to travel for the holiday season, when students start to go home, when people start to shop, when they start to move around: increased mobility, increased social activity, increased viral infection rate," he added.
As of Sunday, there were 160 additional hospitalizations with 22 being admitted to the ICU and 13 others being intubated, the governor told reporters.
Overall, there are now more than 4,440 hospitalizations statewide.
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