Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday he'll be stepping up National Guard patrols at area airports to enforce new coronavirus restrictions.
The move comes a week after Cuomo said he would require all out-of-state travelers, except for those coming from neighboring states, to show proof that they had received a negative coronavirus test three days prior to their trip.
"You should not land if you do not have proof of a negative test upon landing," Cuomo said.
Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are urging people not to travel during the holidays, fearful that it could lead to more cases here in the state.
Cuomo said the city has seen progress and announced he would reduce the red zone cluster in Brooklyn by 50%. He also said the cluster zone in Far Rockaway, Queens has been "extinguished" and that restrictions there will be lifted, adding "downstate New York is doing better than upstate New York."
Mayor de Blasio, though, is not painting as rosy a picture. He said Friday the 7-day average of positive coronavirus tests continued to increase, hitting 1.96%, up from 1.81%
"That's a problem. That's a problem. That says we are really threatened with a second wave in New York City if we don't quickly get a handle on this."
On Thursday, de Blasio announced a new testing push on Staten Island after seeing an uptick in certain neighborhoods in the borough.