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De Blasio: New Yorkers Should Prepare for Possible ‘Shelter in Place’ Order Within 48 Hours

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, however, said that New York City cannot “legally” implement a “shelter in place” order without state approval.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday that New Yorkers should be prepared for a possible “shelter in place” order within the next 48 hours to control the spread of the coronavirus outbreak. “This is a reality that is being talked about because the crisis continues to grow. We are all deeply concerned about the direction and the trajectory,” the mayor said during a press conference. “It has not happened yet but it is definitely a possibility at this point.” De Blasio, however, did not provide further details about how the order would be carried out in the city. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said earlier on Tuesday that New York City cannot “legally” implement a “shelter in place” order without state approval and later asserted that “there is no consideration of that for any locality at this time.” Millions of people in the San Francisco Bay Area have already been ordered to stay at home and only leave for “essential reasons” due to the coronavirus pandemic.