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De Blasio Orders Venues & Bars To Close, Restaurants Go Take-Out & Delivery Only
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 15, 2020
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Jen Chung / Gothamist
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 15, 2020
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In the latest big announcement related to keeping New Yorkers safe during the novel coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Sunday night that restaurants will only be allowed to offer take-out and delivery, while entertainment venues like movie theaters and concert spaces and nightclubs will be closed, starting Tuesday, March 17th. (Update: Cuomo stated on Monday morning that the establishments must close by March 16th, 8 p.m. He also noted that bars and restaurants could offer to-go alcoholic drinks.)
"Tomorrow, I will sign an Executive Order limiting restaurants, bars and cafes to food take-out and delivery. Nightclubs, movie theaters, small theater houses, and concert venues must all close," he said in a statement. "The order will go into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9:00 AM."
The de Blasio administration said the order does not apply to gyms, spas, and other recreational facilities.
During a Sunday evening press conference, where he announced a weeks-long closure of public schools, de Blasio had said that bars and nightclubs with capacities of under 500 people could remain open, but would have to adhere to the 50 percent occupancy rule that went into effect on Friday night, to encourage social distancing to reduce the spread of of COVID-19. However, on Saturday night, many bars and nightclubs still attracted crowds, some with lines outside the door. The mayor said that the FDNY, NYC Sheriff's office, and Department of Business Affairs would be cracking down on businesses violating the decree.
Then, hours after the press conference, de Blasio seemingly changed his mind. His statement read:
"Our lives are all changing in ways that were unimaginable just a week ago. We are taking a series of actions that we never would have taken otherwise in an effort to save the lives of loved ones and our neighbors. Now it is time to take yet another drastic step. The virus can spread rapidly through the close interactions New Yorkers have in restaurants, bars and places where we sit close together. We have to break that cycle.. This is not a decision I make lightly. These places are part of the heart and soul of our city. They are part of what it means to be a New Yorker. But our city is facing an unprecedented threat, and we must respond with a wartime mentality. We will come through this, but until we do, we must make whatever sacrifices necessary to help our fellow New Yorkers."
Hundreds of thousands of workers will lose wages, and owners may lose their businesses due to closures related to COVID-19. According to the Department of Labor, 315,200 people worked in New York City's food service industry as of 2018. Right now, the de Blasio administration has set up a zero-interest loan program, along with grants for businesses with less than five employees. The mayor has said he is speaking with his federal counterparts to get more substantive relief.
In the past few days some restaurants had announced they were closing, as had some movie theaters, but many establishments stayed open, communicating with customers that they were cleaning multiple times a day and that they'd adhere to the reduced capacity rule. Broadway theaters and other larger venues were closed outright last week.
The St. Patrick's Day Parade was also canceled (or postponed); before the decision, some had wondered about how the 50 percent mandate would affect bars on Tuesday.
New York City has recorded 329 cases of coronavirus, with five deaths, as of Sunday evening; there are 729 cases across New York State. Both New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and de Blasio have warned that the number of cases will definitely be much bigger, because New York hasn't had access to much testing until recently.
Tagged
COVID-19
restaurants
bars
coronavirus
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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