New York is dealing with two "different realities," as Governor Andrew Cuomo on Sunday put it. 

In one space, there's the coronavirus pandemic like it was during the summer: An infection rate of less than 1 percent out of thousands of tests in most areas. Then there's the other side: clusters of cases in Brooklyn, Queens, as well as Orange and Rockland counties, and some spots in the Southern Tier region. 

Targeting the clusters once they are found is the goal, Cuomo said.

"Finding a cluster is a good thing. Having the data to find clusters is a good thing," Cuomo on Sunday said in a conference call. "When a doctor can find the source of infection on the human body and can circumscribe the area and treat the area, that's a good thing." 

New York officials are continuing to battle a virus that has killed tens of thousands of people in the state since March ahead of concerns over a second wave in the cold weather months.

Last week, Cuomo moved forward with a red zone plan to close non-essential businesses and schools inside areas where COVID-19 cases have spiked in recent weeks. 

Many of the regions where cases are increasing overlap with Orthodox Jewish communities, and Cuomo on Sunday once again urged against large gatherings. 

"People will get sick and people will die from this behavior," he said.