Starting Friday, Nov.13, New York bars, restaurants and all establishments that hold liquor licenses will have to close by 10 p.m., according to a new order from Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Takeout and delivery will still be allowed after 10 p.m., but for food only. All alcohol sales are not permitted after the curfew. Before Cuomo’s most recent order, restaurants and bars were allowed to continue outdoor service until 11 p.m. and indoor service until midnight.
Additionally, Cuomo mandated that gyms must abide by the 10 p.m. curfew and that private parties must be capped at 10 people.
NYS is taking action to stop the spread in response to rising COVID numbers.
Any establishment with a state liquor license, including bars and restaurants, must close at 10pm.
Gyms must also close at 10pm.
These new statewide rules will take effect Friday, 10pm.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 11, 2020
“If you look at where the cases are coming from, if you do the contact tracing, you’ll see they’re coming from three main areas: establishments where alcohol is served, gyms, and indoor gatherings at private homes,” Governor Cuomo said in a press release.
“The reason we have been successful in reducing the spread in New York is we have been a step ahead of COVID,” Cuomo added.
Cuomo’s order comes as COVID cases continue to rise throughout New York, where more than 25,000 people were diagnosed with the disease from Nov. 5-12, according to Johns Hopkins University.
Cuomo’s new curfew is in line with those set by neighboring states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, according to the governor’s press release.
To enforce his new rules, Cuomo has called on local governments throughout the state of New York.
“The rules are only as good as the enforcement,” Cuomos said in the release. “Local governments are in charge of enforcement. There are only two fundamental truths in this situation: it’s individual discipline and it’s government enforcement. Period. End of sentence. I need the local governments to enforce this.”
Cuomo has been strict on restaurants and bars since the pandemic started. Dozens of NYC establishments, including Bushwick’s House of Yes, have lost their liquor licenses after failing to comply with the governor’s orders. Owners of other institutions, including Meserole Street’s The Graham, have sued the governor over previous orders.
For more news, sign up for Bushwick Daily’s newsletter.
Join the fight to save local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber.