Syracuse University will close all dining halls and fitness centers Monday night to comply with statewide social distancing measures implemented amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

New York state will limit crowd capacity to 50 people starting at 8 p.m. tonight, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday. Gyms, movie theatres, and casinos will also be closed, while restaurants and bars will be limited to takeout and delivery services, he said.

“Our primary goal is to slow the spread of coronavirus so that the wave doesn’t crash our healthcare system,” Cuomo said on Twitter. “Social distancing is the best way to do that.”

The novel coronavirus causes COVID-19, a respiratory disease that has spread to at least 143 countries, infected at least 179,000 and killed over 7,000. There are currently 950 confirmed cases of the virus in New York state, and 6 people have died. Onondaga County confirmed two cases of the virus Monday.

Cuomo’s order poses urgent challenges to students living in SU housing, said Mike Haynie, vice chancellor for strategic initiatives and innovation, in an SU News release. The university will provide a takeout option at dining halls to provide for students who need to remain on campus over spring break, he said. 

“Given this news, we urge those students remaining in University housing who can depart campus for home to consider doing so as soon as possible,” Haynie said.

Connecticut and New Jersey are also implementing the social distancing measures, Cuomo said. The uniform application of policies across states will prevent people from traveling between states to avoid the measures, he said.

Essential businesses like grocery stores, gas stations and pharmacies can remain open. The state will also waive all fees on state parks to provide families with a low-risk activity, Cuomo said. 

The closures will last as long as necessary to protect public health, Cuomo said. 

Cuomo also issued renewed calls for federal intervention to combat the spread of COVID-19. In an op-ed published Sunday in The New York Times, the governor called for President Donald Trump to relax COVID-19 testing regulations and deploy the Army Corps of Engineers to expand hospital space.

“This is a national problem,” Cuomo said. “You need federal parameters to stop the national patchwork of density reduction closings.”

Published on March 16, 2020 at 5:24 pm

Contact Chris: cjhippen@syr.edu