As of November 13th, bars and restaurants in New York State that are regulated by the State Liquor Authority (SLA) will have a new 10 PM curfew, Governor Cuomo announced. The previous curfew was 11 PM. Gyms must follow the 10 PM curfew as well. Also, gatherings at private residences will once again be limited to 10 people. These measures come as Covid-19 cases are spiking around the country, including the Tri-State area. Restaurants may continue to provide takeout and delivery after 10 p.m., but only for food.
These new restrictions are the latest in the state’s attempt to get ahead of Covid-19, following new guidelines for out of state travelers as well as the cluster action initiative. “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. Halloween house parties were specified as a cause of spread so from that lens, and with, Thanksgiving a few weeks away, it makes sense that the Governor is sending a warning to limit travel and keep gatherings as small as possible.
Local governments will oversee enforcement and Governor Cuomo stressed how vital enforcement is to the success at reducing the rate of infection. Though these new restrictions are far and away better than prolonged, full lockdowns, this is still a frustrating blow to industries and small businesses that are barely hanging on by a thread. Another lockdown will undoubtedly be game over for most. If these new restrictions do not work, stricter measures like scrapping indoor dining at bars and restaurants could be in play.
Managing a global pandemic along with an economic collapse is a difficult task but it did seem like with temperature checks, capacity limits, and mask requirements we found an acceptable middle ground.
Leave a Reply