(The nation as a whole was averaging 17 new cases per 100,000 people.) New York City, at 44 cases per 100,000, is adding new cases at a per capita rate more than five times higher than that of Los Angeles County. The announcement on indoor exercise classes came after a number of fitness studio owners protested outside City Hall on Tuesday. When the governor ordered local governments to allow gyms across the state to reopen last September, he allowed local officials to decide whether or not to also permit the return of indoor fitness classes. Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City declined to do so, citing fears of an increased risk of transmission in those spaces.

Source: New York Times March 17, 2021 21:02 UTC