The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, announced this friday that restaurants will be able to reopen their dining rooms with a reduced capacity of 25% of the total, starting on Valentine’s Day (February 14) after the covid-19 positivity rate in the city has dropped from 5 %.
“After the holidays, the rebound (of infections) has dropped to 4.9% and all models project that this number will continue to decline,” said the governor.
Last November, Cuomo banned consumption inside bars and restaurants, after the positivity rate exceeded 5% and after several months in which these establishments had been able to operate indoors with a 25% capacity than usual.
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During all this time, catering businesses had been allowed to open terraces, a measure considered insufficient by these businesses because the city’s low temperatures do not invite consumption abroad, despite the fact that many restaurants they have built covered terraces and offer heating.
Cuomo’s announcement coincides with an especially frigid day in the city of skyscrapers, with -6 degrees Celsius and a wind chill of -14 degrees. Likewise, as of March 15, weddings will be allowed in large stores with a maximum of 150 guests and 50% of the capacity.
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The only condition is that all guests must be tested for COVID before the banquet and that it is approved by the Department of Health. “Promise yourself on Valentine’s Day and get married on March 15,” joked the politician, who indicated that with these dates he hoped to give the different businesses enough time to prepare.
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