Covered meals resumed in New York City, nearly two months after Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases.
On Friday, relieved restaurant owners were finally able to let patrons re-enter it for the first time since Dec. 13, albeit with reduced capacity.
Today, restaurants can fill only 25 percent of their interior space, and many say they still won’t survive with three-quarters of their tables remaining empty.
Some are pushing Governor Cuomo to allow restaurants to operate at 50% capacity, an idea he says is open as long as the number of coronavirus cases continues to decline.
New York City still registers thousands of new cases of COVID-19 a day, but the numbers are declining slightly after an increase in holidays.
On Friday, the average seven-day COVID positivity rate for the Big Apple was 7.9%. Deaths and hospitalizations continue to be much lower than those that occurred during the spring of 2020, a period during which the city was the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic.
Governor Cuomo was initially set to reopen the inner dining room on Feb. 14, but decided to bring the date forward two days.
From Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for an additional hour, with a closing time of 23:00, instead of the current mandatory time of 22:00.
I will have what you have! Covered meals resumed in New York City, nearly two months after Governor Andrew Cuomo suspended the practice amid a second wave of COVID-19 cases. Happy diners are seen inside Katz’s Delicatessen on Manhattan’s Lower East Side, famous for being a place in the 1989 romcom When Harry met Sally
A group of friends shows up for lunch at Dante’s in Manhattan on Friday
Currently, restaurants can fill only 25 percent of the interior space, and many say they still won’t survive with three-quarters of their tables. Dante is shown in Manhattan
Cheers to that! Enthusiastic New Yorkers were happily portrayed as they sipped a drink at the Red Lion, Greenwich Village, after months of staying off the snowy sidewalks
On Friday, patrons were still separated by plastic screens inside Cafe Reggio in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village
On Friday, enthusiastic New Yorkers were happy heading to restaurants, although the CDC said the indoor dining room carries a higher risk of COVID-19 spreading and contracting.
Residents in the area wanted to enjoy the warmth of the restaurants after months eating on the snow-covered sidewalks at temperatures below freezing.
On Friday, restaurateurs told local news networks they hoped they would never have to close the indoor dining room again.
“Hopefully this is the last one, here to stay now, the light at the end of the tunnel, the vaccine is here, the numbers are coming down,” a director of operations at a Manhattan fillet shop told CBS2.
‘If this happens again, the devastation will be complete. It is very difficult to pay the bills only with outside seats.
Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo’s decision to reopen the indoor dining room two days earlier so restaurants could maximize business over Valentine’s Weekend.
‘Congratulations to Governor Cuomo for allowing the interior dining room to resume in New York City on Friday, rather than Sunday, the date originally scheduled.
“This will allow restaurants to generate much-needed revenue with Valentine’s Day weekend businesses, much of which they would have lost because the holidays fall on a Sunday this year.”
The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the news.
“Brooklyn restaurants and industry workers survive by a thread, and with COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations declining across the city, we support Governor Cuomo’s decision to increase the safe reopening of meals highly regulated interiors with 25% occupancy until Friday before Valentine’s Day.
“Many Brooklynites will now be able to celebrate the holidays at a restaurant early in the weekend, providing a few days in advance for small businesses and workers struggling to earn a little more money to support themselves and their families, ”explains Randy Peers, Brooklyn. The president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce told DailyMail.com.
Last week, the NYC Hospitality Alliance welcomed Cuomo’s decision to reopen the indoor dining room two days earlier so restaurants could maximize business over Valentine’s Weekend.
Governor Cuomo was initially set to reopen the inner dining room on Feb. 14, but decided to bring the date forward two days. From Sunday, restaurants will also be able to operate for an additional hour, with a closing time of 23:00, instead of the current mandatory time of 22:00.
The great interior! Guests enjoy the comfort of a warm stand at The Metro Diner on Manhattan’s Upper West Side on Friday.
Table for two! Restaurants are expecting them to spend a busy weekend while couples go out to celebrate Valentine’s Day. A couple was photographed eating Shuka in Manhattan
There are still dining options available outdoors and many still opt to sit outdoors
