This week is projected to be one of the toughest weeks yet during the coronavirus pandemic.

In New York, officials say social distancing may be helping us avoid a worst-case scenario.

 MORE: LIVE BLOG - Coronavirus updates from the tri-state area and beyond 

New York City will continue to be on pause until April 29, meaning schools and nonessential businesses will remain closed until then.

Despite the governor saying thousands of patients have been discharged from the hospital, the situation is going to continue to be hard on the city. In the past month, the city has had make changes to enforce social distancing.

The governor has increased the state’s maximum penalty for violating the social distancing policy to $1,000, double what it was before.

As News 12 has reported, there has been overcrowding on subways and in parks. Police are now breaking up groups. They have been visiting restaurants, bars, supermarkets and salons where some have been slapped with warnings. The department has gone as far as closing down a restaurant in the Bronx completely after a group of 30 people was found hanging out multiple times.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul says this is the time for New Yorkers to step up and do their part.

"There's no one tougher than New Yorkers and if we can continue to realize that our sacrifice that being alone or physically separated [from] people does not mean socially disconnected, we can use this opportunity of calming ourselves down, reaching out to other people in our communities and seeing how they're doing,” says Hochul.

New Yorkers have also been asked to wear any type of face covering when stepping outside.