In this photo provided by the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, Gov. Cuomo, center, meets with officers from the United States Army Corps of Engineers in Albany, N.Y., Wednesday, March 18, 2020. Cuomo called on Army Corps of Engineers for their help with building temporary hospitals in the state to handle the tens of thousands of coronavirus patients that New York is expecting. (Don Pollard/Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

By Joe Mahoney

CNHI State Reporter

ALBANY – State officials, reacting to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, ordered private businesses, with limited exceptions, to reduce the number of employees who have to report to work sites by at least 50 percent in order to reduce the risk posed by the contagion.

The order came as New York's total number of infected people grew to 2,382, an increase of 1,008 cases in 24 hours.

The percentage of infected people who are being hospitalized also increased, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo pegging that rate at 23 percent.

Cuomo said the reduction in work force order will not apply to essential services, such as grocery stores, health care facilities, pharmacies and transportation.