As Oneida County continues to see a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, Governor Cuomo announced Monday that parts of the county, including the Utica and Rome areas, will enter a yellow zone.

What You Need To Know

  • Utica, Rome and large parts of Central Oneida County will be in a yellow zone amid a continued rise of COVID-19 in the county
  • County leaders are urging all residents, not just those within the zone, to take precautions
  • Restrictions for businesses will begin this Wednesday
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"Rome, Utica, Oneida County, there is a problem there, and we have to start to be honest about it and address it,” Cuomo said during his briefing Monday.

The zone includes a large portion of Central Oneida County. In addition to the county’s two biggest cities, county leaders say the New Hartford, Whitestown, Marcy, Deerfield, Verona and Westmoreland areas are also impacted.

While the restrictions will only impact a portion of the county, local leaders are urging all residents to take precautions.

"What I say to everybody is, it's still everywhere, and I would tell the people of the county that you have to look at the whole county as being in a yellow zone, because even though the governor hasn't put it there, there's the warning signs here,” says Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente.

Under a yellow zone, religious services are capped at 50% max capacity.

Indoor and outdoor dining can remain open, but with a four-person maximum per table.

There’s also a 25-person limit on non-residential gatherings.

Schools can also remain open, but 20% of students and staff in those with in-person instruction must be tested within two weeks.

With these new restrictions coming, county leaders say neighbors need to be responsible, especially as the holiday season continues.

"These numbers are not going to go down by themselves,” Picente stressed, “They have to go down with the help of everybody, and with the wearing of a mask, the distancing, the not doing these large gatherings."

The county reported 137 new positive cases and six additional deaths Monday.

Yellow zone restrictions for businesses will take effect this Wednesday. The effective date for schools in the cluster zone is December 21.