social distancing

Look, we get it. COVID-19 stole a year from all of our lives, and just when we thought we saw the light at the end of the tunnel, the virus mutated several times. And now the newest variant has companies delaying a return to offices and some municipalities considering mask mandates.  In the words of baseball legend Yogi Berra,...

They slice through the water as one, less than an arm’s length apart. With their dreams of an Olympic medal contingent upon coordination and closeness, artistic swimmers training for Tokyo knew the drill: Move faster, lift higher and leave as little space between teammates as possible. Then came COVID-19. Most Olympic athletes saw their preparations for Tokyo upended by...

While some might think it’s “depressing” or pathetic to post a TikTok looking for friends, we need people in our lives, says a relationships expert.

New York eased its mask and social distancing mandates again on Wednesday, but people shouldn’t be throwing their face coverings in the garbage just yet. Masks are still required for everyone in many settings. Millions of unvaccinated New Yorkers still have to wear them in most public places. Private businesses can still set rules that exceed state requirements. Here’s a look...

Just a day before the three tri-states make the most aggressive move in their pandemic recoveries after more than a year of devastation, business owners in New York are left with a crucial decision: Masks on or masks off for the fully vaccinated? The reactions from New Yorkers are mixed after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that vaccinated people no longer…

Will masks be next to go? Hospitalizations for coronavirus are continuing to decline as the vaccination rollout reaches more vulnerable populations.

New data shows an even steeper drop in American birth rates than NBCLX first discovered last month, as new data – from the tenth and eleventh months of the pandemic – is made public.

The Center for Disease Control is understandably being a buzzkill when it comes to your Valentine’s Day weekend. With that in mind here are a few suggestions for keeping yourself and your significant other safe as you celebrate a romantic weekend.

The nation’s top infectious disease expert doesn’t want the Super Bowl to turn into a super spreader. Dr. Anthony Fauci says when it comes to Super Bowl parties during the pandemic, people should “just lay low and cool it.”

Human touch is something we’re wired for from birth. Numerous pediatric researchers including the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics have found skin-to-skin contact can provide measurable scientific benefits to both babies and parents. From that point on touch becomes essential to our well-being.

Grandparents will be more protected once they receive two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, but families should still take precautions.

If there was ever a time NOT to stress out about ringing in the new year alone this is it. For once no worrying about that overcrowded New Year Eve’s party or that awkward midnight kiss. This is the year to curl up with a good book and watch the Times Square Ball drop from the comfort of your...

Millions of people in England have learned they must cancel their Christmas get-togethers and holiday shopping trips

As workers across the country slowly start returning to their respective offices and adjust to the new normal of mask wearing and social distancing, expect a fair share of bumps in the road

Americans were warned that the nation’s explosive rise in coronavirus cases this fall made traveling over the Thanksgiving holiday unsafe. But they traveled anyway, and new data suggests they might not have practiced social distancing while doing so. According to an NBC News analysis of cellphone location data provided by the analytics and marketing company Cuebiq, Americans in more than 1,900 counties...

European nations are struggling to reconcile cold medical advice with a Christmas tradition that calls for big gatherings in often poorly ventilated rooms where people chat, shout and sing together

Like just about everything else this year the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be… different. No bulging crowds. Fewer balloons and a lot more masks. But even with that the parade will go on, albeit in a muted fashion.

Regardless of what your holiday plans are, this will be a Thanksgiving like none other. Here are are few tips to get your through the holidays safely and COVID-19 free.

We all know Thanksgiving is going to look different this year

Garcia was seen on video kneeling on a man’s backside May 2 after pulling a stun gun on him, leveling him in a crosswalk, hitting him in the face and shoulder and dragging him to an East Village sidewalk

Offices around the country have been trying to come up with new ways to cope during the coronavirus pandemic.

U.S. health officials Wednesday redefined what counts as close contact with someone with COVID-19 to include briefer but repeated encounters.

Your guide to having awkward conversations and minimizing coronavirus spread at family get-togethers.

Your guide to having awkward conversations and minimizing coronavirus spread at family get-togethers.

Most activities — including standing in line — can be done safely with the right precautions.

The pandemic silenced most live music performances. When will concerts resume, and what will they look like? We asked artists, venue managers, and talent agents for their take on the future of live music.

The promoters of a sold-out charity concert in the Hamptons that drew harsh criticism for social distancing violations over the summer will be fined $20,000 — and Southampton will no longer be able to approve group gathering permits without prior approval from the state, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. The state Department of Health launched an immediate investigation into the…

For so many Americans, this is a time of being cooped up. There’s less interaction with fellow humans and, in many cases, with the landscape itself. COVID-19 and its impact of more than 200,000 Americans dead have kept many away from air travel, cruise ships and crowded beaches. Enter a decidedly unplugged alternative, a very concrete antidote to a suddenly...

Date night at the movies is woven into the very fabric of Americana. It’s a tradition that dates back to … well, the advent of movie theaters. But like many traditions in 2020, the movie-going experience came to a grinding halt as theaters across the country shuttered because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With U.S. movie theaters closed for months, the film industry was forced to pivot during the pandemic. LX’s Ngozi Ekeledo talked to film critic Alison Willmore about the future of big blockbusters, streaming wars and VOD releases post COVID-19.

Wearing a mask is one of the easiest things that people can do to prevent the spread of Covid-19 — and yet it’s a topic that’s been highly politicized in the United States throughout the pandemic.  In the U.S., 34 states and the District of Columbia mandate wearing face masks in public areas. More than 85% of U.S. adults reported wearing a...

New Jersey restaurants can resume indoor dining statewide starting this Friday and movie theathers can reopen, just in time for Labor Day weekend, Gov. Phil Murphy announced Monday. In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo acknowledged that will translate to a “competitive disadvantage” for the five boroughs, where dine-in and movie theaters are still closed. But he’s not ready to...

Marist College has suspended 15 students who attended an off-campus party last week and did not follow coronavirus precautions

Syracuse University has suspended 23 students in the wake of a large on-campus gathering that administrators say could force them to shut down the campus

The initial ruling, which faces appeal from the Cuomo administration, cleared the way for two weddings, but some public officials and wedding venue operators view it as a precedent that will enable larger ceremonies

Syracuse University says it handed out nearly two dozen suspensions to students who gathered in large groups at the school’s Quad on Wednesday. Videos posted to social media show groups of young students mingling and running away when the school’s Department of Public Safety officers arrived to disperse the crowd. The university said 23 students were given interim suspensions...

A Long Island man has been arrested for allegedly threatening to shoot people at a local children’s camp over a social distancing complaint, authorities say. The suspect, 58-year-old Nicola Pelle of Inwood, called cops Monday evening to report a violation at the Yeshiva Ketana of Long Island children’s camp. He supposedly told cops that there were “500 kids in...

Authorities busted two indoor warehouse parties in Brooklyn late Saturday night, each with more than 100 guests partying in violation of New York’s indoor gathering limits. A tip led deputy sheriffs to the first party in Sunset Park roughly 30 minutes after midnight, Sheriff Fucito said Sunday. The responding officials found over 180 people inside — it was not clear…

The initial ruling, which faces appeal from the Cuomo administration, cleared the way for two weddings, but some public officials and wedding venue operators view it as a precedent that will enable larger ceremonies

The couples argued that religious ceremonies should not be treated differently than gatherings for demonstrations, graduation ceremonies and restaurants

There is no indoor dining allowed in New Jersey but photos shared exclusively with News 4 show indoor dining the past two weeks for members of the National Guard’s 253rd Transportation Unit. Two weeks of intense summer training were held in Cape May and at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst with members in attendance from all over the Garden State. Photos taken…

Police say their investigation into a packed party with little social distancing at a mansion in New Jersey over the first weekend of August has resulted in the arrest of the party’s alleged host. Alpine police said Tashay Knight of Newark was arrested on a charge of recklessly creating a risk of widespread injury or damage. Summonses were also...

A party-thrower who hosted more than 300 people, well exceeding Gov. Phil Murphy’s latest directive on indoor gathering, at a New Jersey home was arrested on Sunday. Howell Police say the investigation into a “pop up” party at a home on Wilson Drive in Ramtown is ongoing. The person who was arrested wasn’t identified but authorities said most people...

Some of the NYC zip codes with the highest coronavirus infection rates are also the ones with the fewest complaints about overcrowding and masks

A packed party with little social distancing at a mansion in New Jersey over the weekend is causing concerns for Gov. Phil Murphy as the coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country, and with the infection rate slightly increasing in the Garden State. Videos posted by party promoter and partygoers showed a massive pool party in upscale Alpine, Bergen County,…

City officials say their enforcement efforts busted another large gathering over the weekend – this time deputies arrested boaters who threw a party Saturday night near the Lower East Side. The owners and captain of the Liberty Belle were arrested by deputies for holding an illegal party on board, the sheriff’s office said. The deputies intercept the vessel at Pier…

A house party linked to 50 new COVID cases among people age 15 to 19. An LBI party that sidelined nearly three dozen lifeguards. A Long Island July 4 bash that sickened one in five attendees. And officials haven’t begun to estimate how many may have gotten sick at a 700-person party that took cops hours to break up. These…

New York City and Long Island are being closely watched by Gov. Andrew Cuomo amid dozens of recent COVID violations for non-social distancing and other issues. He touted his oft-repeated mantra again: Local governments, do your job. Cuomo’s latest criticism Wednesday came amid his ongoing argument that local governments largely in downstate New York have failed to enforce 6-feet-apart...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said criminal liability may be involved in a weekend drive-in concert in the Hamptons that drew a sold-out crowd as well as harsh online criticism over an apparent lack of social distancing. The state Department of Health is currently investigating the concert, headlined by The Chainsmokers. Images of large crowds attending Saturday night’s concert trickled onto...

Three more states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico were added to the tri-state quarantine list Tuesday, bringing the current list of viral hotspots near 40 as the nation struggles to contain COVID-19 outbreaks the CDC has warned may already be beyond the nation’s ability to control, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. Cuomo said the national outlook has only darkened...

UPDATE: Cuomo Says Criminal Charges Could Come From NY ‘Drive-in’ Concert, Warns, ‘Southampton Is Going to Have a Problem’ A weekend drive-in charity concert in the Hamptons and headlined by The Chainsmokers drew a sold-out crowd as well as harsh online criticism over an apparent lack of social distancing. Images of large crowds attending Saturday night’s concert trickled onto...

Three people were arrested after police spent nearly five hours breaking up a party at a residence in Jackson Township Sunday, the local police department said. On Sunday, at around 8:30 p.m., officers responded to a residence located on Mill Pond Road in the Whispering Hill neighborhood on the report of a suspicious incident. When they arrived, officers spoke with…

Google said on Monday it will extend its coronavirus work from home order to through June 2021. “To give employees the ability to plan ahead, we are extending our global voluntary work from home option through June 30, 2021 for roles that don’t need to be in the office,” Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an email to employees. Google had originally...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned for the second time in one week Monday that he may have to shut down bars and restaurants in New York City all over again if compliance on the part of businesses and individuals doesn’t improve. Frustrated by what he has described as lacking enforcement on the part of local governments, Cuomo dispatched his new...

A crowd of around 800 college-aged people gathered in Long Beach over the weekend for a party that was spread on social media, and when police arrived to break it up, some started to get violent

President Donald Trump on Monday seemed to give mask-wearing his strongest endorsement yet after months of wavering over whether people should don a face covering in public to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Unmasked and in clear defiance of the New York’s social distancing rules, a crowd of several hundred people filled streets in Queens Friday night, overwhelming police and leaving a mess in their wake. Video of the nighttime party shows people lining Steinway Street in Astoria, packed from sidewalk to sidewalk. New York City police officers responding to the scene...

New York City is on track to move to Phase IV of the state’s reopening plan on Monday, but it will do so without the reopening of any new indoor venues like malls, museums and more, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday. He offered no new timeline for those reopenings. The announcement echoes the strategy Cuomo took for the city...

Walmart and Sam’s Club customers will soon be required to put on a mask or face covering before shopping in stores.  The big-box retailer announced the new policy Wednesday and said it will take effect July 20. It said the majority of its approximately 5,000 stores and clubs  — about 65% — are in areas where there’s already some kind of...

New York state’s confirmed virus deaths topped 25,000 Wednesday as Gov. Andrew Cuomo added nine more names to the toll. Daily death tolls have dropped to the single digits in recent weeks, down from an 11-day stretch of “hell” in April, according to the governor, where nearly 800 New Yorkers were dying a day. New York City accounts for the…

Schools and educators across the U.S. have landed in the middle of an increasingly politicized debate over how best to reopen schools this fall

UPDATE: More Than 1/2 of America Now on Tri-State Quarantine List; 10 More States Added Tuesday Four more states were added to the tri-state’s quarantine-restricted list Tuesday — New Mexico, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Ohio. Delaware came off, no longer meeting the criteria to be considered a viral hotspot under New York standards. That brings the total number on the list…

Florida has surpassed its daily record for coronavirus deaths amid rising global worries of a resurgence, even as researchers announced that the first vaccine tested in the U.S. had worked to boost patients’ immune systems

On the heels of a 24-hour period without coronavirus deaths in New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio and city health officials are issuing new guidance for wearing face coverings indoors. New Yorkers should wear a mask or face covering indoors at all times, even at work and in large spaces regardless if social distancing can be met, de Blasio…

New York City health officials reported zero deaths related to the novel coronavirus four months after the state’s first official death was recorded on March 11. According to initial data reported by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, no one died from the virus in New York City on July 11. Officials recorded no confirmed deaths the day…

Some governors across the U.S., especially in Republican-leaning states, have been stressing the need for “personal responsibility” to combat the coronavirus instead of issuing statewide mandates to wear masks or avoid large social gatherings

A new survey from the Centers for Disease Control found that 54% of people who tested positive for Covid-19 couldn’t pinpoint how they contracted the virus. The remaining 46% of respondents could recall having close contact with a person — commonly a family member or coworker — who was also diagnosed with Covid-19. These findings are “very concerning,” and suggest that...

There are increased demands for an NYPD officer to face charges after being involved in a rough arrest in May over social distancing enforcement

The days of cramming undergraduates into shared rooms with a communal bathroom down the hall may be over. As colleges and universities across the country consider how they will reopen in the fall, new protocols in the era of Covid-19 are not only changing how students learn, but also how they live.

Kentucky and New York held primaries on Tuesday, but the results of the closest races won’t be known for another week

Coronavirus infections are climbing rapidly among young Americans in a number of states where bars, stores and restaurants have reopened

After self-quarantining for more than three months, one of the many things I was looking forward to was finally getting my hair colored. I was long overdue, and had the roots to prove it, by the time June rolled around. Before then, the last time I had visited the salon was in early January. I was eager to make an appointment as...

Is it safe to form a COVID-19 “support bubble” with friends

As schools consider how and when to reopen their buildings during the pandemic, many are finding themselves overwhelmed by the potential expenses that would come with operating under social distancing guidelines: protective equipment, staff for smaller classrooms, and additional transportation to keep students spread out on bus rides

The key elements to reducing the spread of the coronavirus involve social distancing, proper hand hygiene and wearing face masks when you can’t social distance. Yet there are still people who refuse to wear masks to help slow the spread of COVID-19. NBC News investigative and consumer correspondent Vicky Nguyen demonstrated on TODAY how effective face masks truly are:...

Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order lifting the indoor crowd limit from 10 to 25 for Phase III regions, citing New Yorkers’ sustained progress in fighting back a disease that has seen new life in nearly half of America’s states. Western New York takes that next step Tuesday; the Capital Region will do so Wednesday. The governor said the…

New Yorkers be warned. Gov. Andrew Cuomo is frustrated by “rampant” violations of reopening guidelines — and he’s threatening to roll back the progress if local governments don’t effectively enforce the rules. More than 25,000 complaints of reopening violations have come in across the state, Cuomo said — adding that he called some of the packed bars and restaurants himself….

Billions has been spent on state-of-the-art sports facilities over the last quarter-century

Fringe performers are learning to navigate the new normal of social distancing in the world of entertainment

Several NYPD officers involved in a violent East Village arrest earlier this month will face disciplinary charges, the department said on Friday. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea had already said he was not happy with how the arrests were handled, sparking an internal investigation that left one officer on modified duty. The May 2 incident was captured on camera and caught…

Restaurants across the globe are beginning to reopen, but since coronavirus cases are still being confirmed daily, many eateries are using unique concepts to encourage social distancing among customers and employees.

New York City has changed how it measures its progress toward reopening. Mayor de Blasio unveiled a new threshold-based system Friday

New York City has changed how it measures its progress toward reopening. Mayor de Blasio unveiled a new threshold-based system Friday

A school in New York was ordered to shut down immediately after violating the governor’s executive orders and having ‘hundreds’ of students inside, not following social distancing measures and without personal protective equipment, according to the county health department

The beaches are open. In what may be the only openings to happen as scheduled amid the pandemic, all tri-state shores welcome beachgoers starting Friday. It won’t quite be Memorial Day weekend as usual. Capacity is limited to 50 percent. Strict social distancing is required. Masks are mandated when people can’t stay 6 feet apart. Concession stands in New York…

Much of the country remains unlikely to venture out to bars, restaurants, theaters or gyms anytime soon, despite state and local officials increasingly allowing businesses to reopen

New York City has changed how it measures its progress toward reopening. Mayor de Blasio unveiled a new threshold-based system Friday

The NYPD issued a cease-and-desist order to an Orthodox school in Brooklyn after neighbors reported it was operating in violation of city and state orders — but the city’s top cop says local commanders could have gone further. Law enforcement officials estimate more than 100 children were inside the building Monday morning when police arrived. NYPD officers arrived to the…

The video surfaced the same day as a Jewish Orthodox school in Bed-Stuy with around 100 children was shut down, and follows a weekend where crowds were seen hanging around and drinking outside bars in Manhattan

Civil rights groups sued Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Monday, saying the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility is failing to impose social distancing rules to protect individuals held on civil immigration charges during the coronavirus outbreak. The New York Civil Liberties Union and Prisoners Legal Services of New York made their complaints known in a federal lawsuit in Buffalo that seeks…

The NYPD shut down an Orthodox school in Brooklyn after neighbors reported the school was operating in violation of city and state orders, law enforcement officials say. Law enforcement officials estimate more than 100 children were inside the building Monday morning when police arrived. NYPD officers arrived to the building on Madison Street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section sometime before 12…

A new threat to social distancing emerged in New York City over the weekend: crowding outside of bars. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has reiterated at his daily briefings that New Yorkers overwhelmingly adhere to social distancing and follow instruction when engaged by social distancing ambassadors and the NYPD. On Saturday, however, images emerged of large groups outside…

Cubicles and desk spaces were practically second homes for some, and now architects — both physical and financial ones — are are wondering if those spaces will ever be filled again

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio debuted new social distancing enforcement practices on behalf of the NYPD, a department already under fire for tactics used in some cases. Given crowding concerns, police are limiting access to Central Park’s Sheep Meadow, along with Hudson River Park Piers 45 and 46. Nearly 2,300 social distancing ambassadors and supervisors have been deployed….

The NYPD is under fire again after a video showed police officers arresting a 22-year-old mother in the subway who they say refused to properly cover her face. Mayor Bill de Blasio condemned the confrontation in a tweet, where he also shared the video that sparked the controversy. Police say they stopped Kaleemah Rozier and her young child inside the…

Recognizing the need for these services doesn’t stop, the nonprofit Canine Assisted Therapy has launched the TeleDog program to bring people and therapy dogs face to face, either virtually or through window visits.

Quarantine is only heightening the anxiety and isolation many new mothers already feel after giving birth.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the next phase of streets that will ban traffic and open up for pedestrians, part of a plan that aims to open up to 100 miles of streets for open space while ensuring that social distancing norms are maintained. In the latest round of street openings, an additional 13 miles of streets will be designated…

Cooling off during the summer will likely look different in the age of the pandemic, with many people asking: Can the virus that causes COVID-19 stay active in pool water?

Researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health have warned that, in the absence of a vaccine or an effective treatment of the coronavirus, social-distancing measures may be required through to 2022. In a study published in the journal Science on Tuesday, a team of epidemiologists at Harvard assessed what is known about Covid-19 and other coronaviruses to anticipate...