BUFFALO, N.Y. — When discussing the factors that go into why New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state close down certain businesses versus others, Cuomo mentioned that there is a new factor seen across the county: 'Living Room Spread.'
The Governor stated every health agency has identified the top three causes for COVID-19 spread as: indoor dining, gyms, and personal services; adding that, "Living Room Spread," is a new factor in the spread of COVID-19.
"Sources nationwide by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), HHS (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), and every state government acts on [regarding reasons for increase in COVID-19 cases] is indoor dining, gyms, personal services," Cuomo said, "and there's a new factor which is hard to quantify, living room spread, in addition to those other factors."
“Let’s watch the Bills game, come to my house...we call that the living room spread," Cuomo added.
Local leaders have also mentioned "Living Room spread" as a new factor in the spread of COVID-19 in Erie County and the Western New York region,
During a joint conference last week with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul, one of the themes that came up as a source of the spike is what's called "Living Room Spread."
Dr. Thomas Russo, the Chief of Infectious Diseases at the University at Buffalo explained what it is. "The concept is quite simple. When individuals from different households or different social bubbles gather indoors and are not using masks -- common scenarios would be watching the Bills game, which involves food or drink or having a dinner party -- that is a very risky situation to contract the new coronavirus infection if someone in that group is infected."
Governor Cuomo and local leaders continue to stress concern over the possibility of a spike in COVID-19 cases across the state and community because of Thanksgiving.
