NEW YORK — Indoor dining restrictions will be reinstated in New York City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday as coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue climbing in the city and throughout the state.
As of Monday, only takeout orders and outdoor dining will be allowed in the city, the governor said at a news conference in Albany.
The Democrat had been hinting at a clamp down on indoor dining for a week, saying he was waiting to see if the hospitalization rates stabilized. The government's top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, spoke with Cuomo by livestream Monday and said he expects hospitalizations to keep increasing until mid-January.
The governor's order came despite opposition from the beleaguered restaurant industry, which warned of holiday season layoffs at a time when the federal government has yet to pass additional COVID-19 relief.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio had said he expected indoor dining to be rolled back.
RELATED: COVID-19 vaccine questions answered
Public health experts have repeatedly warned that indoor dining — particularly in small, crowded restaurants where individuals are drinking and can take off masks when not eating — poses a risk for airborne transmission. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently described such indoor dining as “high risk.”
New York closed nonessential businesses in March, which forced restaurants to rely on takeout and delivery. The state began allowing indoor dining in some regions outside of New York City in June, and Cuomo allowed indoor dining at 25% capacity in the city Sept. 30.
Critics pointed to Cuomo's repeated statements that small gatherings and “living room spread” appears to be fueling the second wave of virus infections. But the governor's administration has acknowledged that New York is unable to identify a single source of transmission for about 80% of cases in late fall.
