As the weather warms up, many New Yorkers have been heading into Parks to get some fresh air after spending so much time indoors.
But in some cases, it has resulted in people not following social distancing protocols. Mayor de Blasio already started limiting the number of people at Pier 45 and 46 in Hudson River Park in the West Village and Domino Park in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and now he is adding the popular Sheep Meadow in Central Park to the list.
The Mayor announced in his press conference today, May 15, that the NYPD would be limiting access to Sheep Meadow, especially with the warm weather coming this weekend.
Past photos from Christopher St. Pier and Central Park looked like another regular city day, with tons of people lounging close by on the greenery.
New York had thousands of people in Central Park this weekend failing to social distance or wear PPE.
You know what else New York has? Almost 325,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and nearly 25,000 deaths. pic.twitter.com/V5ce1tRLHg
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) May 3, 2020
“We’re going to create a monitoring approach,” he said. “NYPD officers and ambassadors will be there early to set parameters on how many people can go into these areas, and as always will be providing guidance and free face coverings.”
He said if the approach continues to work, they will apply it other places. Though he didn’t say what official requirements would be, it seems to be based on the officer’s judgement and the ability to stay six feet apart from others.
They now have 2,260 “social distancing ambassadors,” who are out educating the public and providing free face coverings. He said this weekend New Yorkers will also see enhanced patrols at beaches to remind them that they are not open and maintain safety from swimming, including the Rockaways, Coney Island and Orchard Beach.