As expected, Gov. Cuomo announced today that NYC restaurants must end indoor dining after this weekend following an ongoing increase in the number of COVID-19 cases.Indoor dining will close in New York City starting Monday.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 11, 2020
Hospitalizations have not stabilized, and with a rising infection rate and NYC’s density, this means that indoor dining is too high of a risk.
Takeout, delivery and outdoor dining will continue.
Restaurants will still be able to continue outdoor dining, takeout and delivery.
"You're going to see a bad December, a bad January. How bad is the question," Cuomo said at today's press briefing.
You can read more about the new shutdown and its impact on the local restaurant industry at Eater.
Some local restaurants preemptively closed for the time being ... while others today announced they are shutting down after this weekend until the spring, including Van Da on Fourth Street, whose last day in business for now is tomorrow.
A new survey that the New York State Restaurant Association conducted revealed that 54 percent of NYC restauranteurs say it is likely that they will close in the next six months if another federal relief package does not come through.
Meanwhile, gyms and salons will be allowed to continue operating in orange zones with lowered capacity from 33 percent to 25 percent. Find more details at Gothamist.
Cuomo said officials are especially concerned about "living room spread." The state's contact tracing data shows nearly 74 percent of new COVID-19 cases are coming from households and social gatherings, Cuomo said. Restaurants and bars accounted for 1.43 percent of new cases while gyms caused less than 1 percent, he said.
