The zones are designed to help control COVID-19 spread and protect hospital capacity in New York, which has seen rising caseloads since the fall. According to an online tracker, no areas are deemed Red Zones but there are several Orange and Yellow areas. The metrics used for each are:
- Red Zone: A Red Zone will be implemented when a region, after the cancellation of elective procedures and a 50% increase in hospital capacity, is 21 days away from reaching 90% hospital capacity on the current seven-day growth rate.
