New York City Indoor Dining Expanding to 75 Percent Capacity, Starting May 7
By Celia Young April 30, 2021 3:12 pm
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Governor Andrew Cuomo raised the capacity limit for New York City indoor dining from 50 percent to 75 percent starting on May 7, to match restaurant occupancy levels in the rest of the state.
The announcement comes just one day after Mayor Bill de Blasio said that New York City would fully reopen on July 1, despite Cuomo saying he wants a full return sooner than that and calling such projections “irresponsible.”
Cuomo also announced that hair salons, barber shops, and other personal care services will expand to 75 percent capacity on May 7 as well. Gyms and fitness centers in the city can operate at 50 percent capacity beginning on May 15.
“There’s no doubt that restaurants have been among the pandemic’s hardest hit businesses, and New York City’s thriving restaurant industry has found it challenging to keep staff and maintain profits,” Cuomo said in a press release. “We’re easing restrictions on restaurants, personal care services and gyms to put more money in the pockets of small business owners and working people in New York City, which was hit so hard by the pandemic but, I have no doubt, will come back stronger than ever.”
The governor also rescinded an executive order establishing a micro-cluster zone strategy to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, where the New York State Department of Health determines areas in the state that required enhanced public health restrictions based on clusters of coronavirus cases.
The announcement comes after the governor raised indoor restaurant capacity to 50 percent on March 19, and loosened restrictions on bar and restaurant curfews on April 14. Cuomo moved the curfew in place for bars and restaurants from 11 p.m. to midnight on April 19.
