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Coronavirus Updates: More than 4,100 NYC Restaurants Are Now Offering Outdoor Dining
By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 23, 2020
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By
Elizabeth Kim
Published Jun 23, 2020
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This is our daily update of breaking COVID-19 news for Tuesday, June 23rd 2020. Previous daily updates can be found here, and up-to-date statistics are here.
New York City is in Phase 2 of reopening now, which includes outdoor dining; hair salons and barbershops; and playgrounds are open, . Here's a look at preparing for the spread of coronavirus is here, and if you have lingering questions about the virus, here is our regularly updated coronavirus FAQ. Here are some local and state hotlines for more information: NYC: 311; NY State Hotline: 888-364-3065; NJ State Hotline: 800-222-1222.
Here's the latest:
- NJ Will Allow Outdoor Gatherings Of 250 People
- A Guide To Phase 2 Outdoor Dining: Rules, Etiquette & Advice From An Epidemiologist
12:00 p.m. More than 4,100 New York City restaurants have completed the self-certification process to offer outdoor dining, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Tuesday.
"This the beginning of something very big," de Blasio said during his press briefing.
Since March 17th, restaurants and bars have been limited to take-out only. Although many eating establishments had begun a soft reopening by putting out a few tables, Monday marked the official first day when patrons could dine at restaurants, albeit only outdoors. Under the city's plan, sidewalks, curbside parking spaces and open spaces can be used for outdoor seating under certain guidelines.
To commemorate the occasion, the mayor and his wife Chirlane McCray dined at Melba's, a popular southern food restaurant in Harlem.
Although the exact estimates are yet to be released, the mayor said that "hundreds of thousands" of New Yorkers had already returned to work under phase 2 of the city's reopening. The return of restaurant dining in New York City is expected to aid the comeback of one of the city's largest and lowest-paid workforces as well as many minority and immigrant business owners. According to a report from the New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, in May there were 41,000 employed in full-service restaurants, down 70 percent compared to March.
Although the city has said that it will use inspectors to ensure that businesses comply with social distancing and other health rules, the introduction of outdoor dining is expected to increase the number of close gatherings that have already drawn concern over potential virus outbreaks.
On Tuesday, New York state's positivity rate was 1.23 percent, up from .97 percent the prior day.
Last week, Governor Andrew Cuomo said the state had received 25,000 complaints during the previous weekend about social distancing violations. He added that he personally fielded texts and photos of patrons crowded in front of bars and restaurants in New York City.
In response, Cuomo signed two executive orders, one giving the state authority to revoke liquor licenses and issue shut down orders for businesses found in violation of the rules, and another which would make bar and restaurant owners responsible for the activity on sidewalks in front of their establishments.
The governor warned, however, that the state could only do so much enforcement. "I need local government to do their part," he said.
NJ Will Allow Outdoor Gatherings Of 250 People
10:14 a.m.: New Jersey residents are now able to gather outdoors in groups as large as 250 people, up from the current limit of 100. Indoor gatherings are restricted to 25 percent of a venue's total capacity, but cannot have more than 100 people. In New York state, Governor Andrew Cuomo has allowed gatherings of 25 people in phase three of the reopening.
Governor Phil Murphy, who has been swiftly moving to relax his state's coronavirus restrictions, announced the new rules in a tweet on Monday. The outdoor gathering limit does not apply to religious or political events. He has previously said that the outdoor gathering limit could be expanded to 500 by July 6th so that schools can plan for outdoor graduations.
In a separate tweet, Murphy also said that casinos could begin operating at 25 percent capacity beginning on July 2nd as long as they follow public health precautions, which will include face coverings and “health screenings” for both casino patrons and staff members. The decision marks a critical step toward reviving Atlantic City's economy, which thrives on casinos and tourism.
As of Monday, New Jersey had recorded more 169,000 coronavirus infections and nearly 13,000 deaths. The state is second only to New York in the number of virus deaths but now boasts one of the lowest positivity rates in the country: 1.53% positivity rate for New Jersey, according to Johns Hopkins University.
The state is currently in stage 2 of its reopening plan, which allows for barbershops and beauty salons as well as youth sports, private swim clubs and municipal pools.
Businesses and restaurants along the Jersey Shore had clamored to reopen in time for summer. But similar to New York City, beach towns have seen large crowds with little social distancing and low mask compliance.
Over the weekend, videos of tightly packed partygoers in Belmar went viral.
On Monday, Murphy said he himself was at the Jersey Shore over the weekend and saw little mask compliance.
“We are going to have to tighten up,” he said. “There’s too many viral videos for my taste. We can’t look the other way. It’s one thing if it’s a little bit non compliant but this stuff is out of bounds.”
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Elizabeth Kim
Elizabeth Kim is a reporter on the People and Power desk who covers mayoral power. She previously covered the pandemic, housing, redevelopment and public spaces. A native of Queens, she speaks fluent Mandarin. Got a tip? Email [email protected]
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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