New Yorkers Face $500 Fine for Ignoring Social Distancing Order

New York City has been named the epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic in the United States, but this isn’t enough to keep people home.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that those who don’t follow social distancing order can face a fine of $250 to $500.

“You’ve been warned and warned and warned again … When we say you can go out for some exercise, we’re not saying you can linger,” de Blasio said during a press conference, Sunday. “We’re not saying you can make a day of it. We’re saying go out, get a minimum amount of exercise and go back indoors. We will be enforcing this but with understanding for the challenges that people are facing, for how new this is.”

The New York Police Department will order people to disperse if they’re caught ignoring the precautionary guidelines. If the officer’s pleas are ignored, violators will face a penalty. “We’re not going to be Draconian. We’re going to give people a chance to get used to this, but I guarantee you: we will enforce this new reality,” de Blasio continued.

NYC reportedly has over 32,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 678 deaths related to the Coronavirus. There’s a shortage of supplies for frontline workers and de Blasio told CNN they’ll be out by next week.

Pray for New York.