New York City now 1,871 cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus, with 11 deaths, Mayor Bill de Blasio said in an interview with NY1 on Wednesday.

He also clarified his stance on sheltering in place after telling New Yorkers Tuesday that they should be prepared to do so in order to stem the spread of the virus.

“When I say shelter in place, there’s an understanding of that that means I’m referring to the model that is already happening in this country on the West Coast in the San Francisco area,” he said. “It’s quite a clear model, where people are directed to stay home, but there is also clear exceptions that have been made for essential services.”

Earlier, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that businesses in the state can have no more than 50 percent of their workforce on site, essential services excluded, as the death toll hit 20 and the number of cases soared to 2,382.

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(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)