New York City will close the interior rooms of its restaurants from next week in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced this Friday.
The restriction is the last blow for the restaurants of the Big Apple, as well as for an economy already very affected by the limitations derived from the pandemic.
“We are closing New York City indoor dining rooms on Monday. Outdoor and home delivery continue,” Cuomo told reporters.
The governor had already advanced the measure on Monday if the hospitalization figures failed to stabilize in five days.
This Friday, Cuomo announced that hospitalizations in the state had risen to more than 5,300, well below the peak of almost 19,000 registered in April, but significantly higher than the low of just 400 in early September.
“Hospitalizations have not stabilized, and with the infection rate and density increasing in New York City, that means that eating indoors is a very high risk,” explained the governor.
Until now, restaurants could use up to 25% of their interior capacity.
Covid-19 has left more than 35,000 deaths in the state of New York, the vast majority in the metropolis itself.
Many occurred during the spring and early summer, when the state became the epicenter of the initial COVID-19 outbreak in the United States.
Cuomo added 346,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine are scheduled to be delivered in New York state in the week of December 21, in addition to 170,000 of the Pfizer immunizer due to arrive this weekend, pending approval. from the FDA.
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