Governor Andrew Cuomo at a press conference Monday (Governor Andrew Cuomo)
Dec. 7, 2020 By Allie Griffin
Indoor dining in New York City could close once again if the city’s hospitalization rate continues to rise, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today.
The governor said if the rate does not stabilize within five days indoor dining would close. The closure could come as early as next Monday, Dec. 14, he said.
Cuomo said that eateries would get a warning before the shutdown went into effect. Currently, restaurants are limited to 25 percent capacity.
NEW: If after 5 days a region’s hospital rate has not stabilized, indoor dining will close or be reduced.
-In NYC, indoor dining would close entirely.
-In rest of the state, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 7, 2020
The New York City hospitalization rate has been increasing for weeks — and is expected to climb, Cuomo said.
“We are looking at continued increases through from now through mid-January,” Cuomo said, noting that the holidays will lead to an uptick in new coronavirus cases.
New York City has been subject to the toughest restrictions in the state since the pandemic hit.
Indoor dining in other regions across the state is currently limited to 50 percent capacity. However, if hospitalizations increase in those areas, it would be reduced to 25 percent.
