LATEST: Indoor Dining to Return on Valentine’s Day
Governor Cuomo has announced that indoor dining will be indefinitely suspended beginning on Monday, December 14, following increased COVID-19 positivity and hospitalization rates throughout the boroughs.
Indoor dining will close in New York City starting Monday.
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.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) December 11, 2020
This does not come as much of a surprise, as the governor recently mentioned a suspension was likely on the horizon.
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While the short-lived allowance of indoor dining – along with other measures like an optional surcharge and the approval of year-round outdoor dining – have been intended to keep the industry alive, many restaurants continue to close.
While it’s unknown when indoor dining is likely to come back, as this is dependent on positivity and hospitalization rates, restaurants can continue to offer takeout, delivery and outdoor dining.
But when it comes to serving customers outside, many restaurants are struggling. While they’re allowed to use outdoor heaters, a December 8 report by Eater stated that less than 300 restaurants had gotten legal clearance to use propane.
The report stated that “… only 242 restaurants — or about 2.2 percent of the 10,800 restaurants certified for outdoor dining this year — were fully certified by November 15, a month after the fire department released its propane heater use regulations and opened up applications for permits.”
Restaurant owners who obtain the heaters at a later point in time will have lost a substantial number of days, and those who are currently equipped with them will have to hope they counteract the cold winds of the next few months.
Crazy! First he kills the seniors in nursing homes and now he wants to kill the economy. There is no congregating in restaurants because they don’t use their bars. There are a few people at each distanced table and they wear masks when going to the bathrooms. The air is probably a lot cleaner than outdoors also. What’s wrong with this egomaniacal king? Did he have a traumatic experience in a restaurant? Was he put down by an elderly person? Oy!!!
Sorry Harriet, but the title of egomaniacal king has already been taken by the current potus, who decided it would be a better idea to insult and fire the people who could help end the spread of this horrible virus when it was in its infancy, as other countries have done. Now, after hundreds of thousands of deaths, we have to be reactive, when proactive would have worked much better and saved more lives.
sorry, but our president couldn’t have known the scope of all of this. he could’ve done more at first, but so could everybody. nobody really knew what kind of virus this was, man made? no matter what, nothing can excuse king Cuomo’s irresponsible behavior toward the murder of seniors in nursing homes
I’m an UWS bartender and I get it. Boy, does it hurt, but I cannot bear the thought that someone might get sick or die because I don’t have an income. This was the right move, given the numbers. I’m out of money and missing my people, but I can sleep nights. Bless us all and hang tough–it’s just a wait.
Doe you are a wonderful person. Is there a go fund me for your restaurant? I’d donate for YOU!!!!
Do we know if it’s the OUTDOOR spaces where people are getting sick or the INDOOR?? There’s no ventilation in these outdoor constructions with tight, plastic separated little spaces for tables. You’re forced to breathe the same air as the person you’re with because you’re surrounded by plastic . It seems to me the inside of the restaurant has a higher ceiling and has more air flow…..just wondering…I only do take out.
Agreed. Some of the outdoor setups are just as much of a covid death trap, if not more so, as indoor, which at least has ventilation running. I can understand it’s too cold to eat outdoors if there’s nothing blocking the wind but with the almost completely enclosed tents that some have set up, may as well eat indoors with proper heating.
Teacup and Ben I agree with you. Those outdoor plastic tent setups do not look sanitary.
All politicians are full of crap period , no good lying ? self centered, greedy, ignorant of their constituents problems and of the economy of this once great nation ! Cuomo only worries about getting votes and staying in office so he can destroy New York State , he’s rich so if businesses go bankrupt and the people starve he won’t even blink an eye !!
Absolutely correct. The useless politicians shouldn’t have gotten their salaries during this time. They are totally inefficient and destructive