The mayor of Mount Vernon is clarifying a stay-at-home advisory in which residents are urged to stay home unless they are going to work, school or heading out for essential needs.

Mayor Shawn Patterson-Howard announced the advisory this weekend as the city hit 124 active cases of the coronavirus, including 84 new cases in November.

Today, Patterson-Howard tells News 12 that advisory is not an order or mandate, and that city is not quarantined nor in the yellow or orange zone. City Hall, schools, businesses, restaurants gyms, houses of worship are open.

The advisory also encourages people, but does not mandate, to cancel tradition holiday celebrations, which could including traveling and having guests in their home.

The city is also urging people to get tested at local medical facilities as they continue to enforce social distancing regulations and closing down any businesses that don’t follow public health guidelines.