New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday he will ease restrictions to allow indoor dining in New York City with a limit of 25 percent capacity beginning Sept. 30, as the spread of the novel coronavirus has been controlled in recent months.
"Because the compliance (with anti-virus restrictions) has gotten better, we can now take the next step," Cuomo said, announcing that the city "can go to 25 percent of indoor dining with certain restrictions."
It will be the first time for New York City, one of the world's most popular tourist spots, to allow indoor dining since March when the coronavirus outbreak surged in the state.
New York was once the hardest-hit U.S. state by the pandemic, with New York City seeing the state's highest number of virus cases and fatalities.
According to the governor, customers will have their temperatures checked before entering restaurants, and at least one person from each party will need to leave contact information in case follow-up from restaurant operators is deemed necessary.
"We will continue to watch the infection rate," Cuomo said. If there is a spike in infections not easily traceable to a specific source, "we can hit the pause button on restaurants' indoor dining (or) any of these activities that we're allowing," he explained.
To ensure compliance, the city plans to add 400 code enforcement inspectors to work with an expanded task force. City residents and visitors are also asked to report violations anonymously.
While some tourists have returned to popular spots in Manhattan, which became desolate amid strict social distancing and the shutting down of businesses, many residents continue to work from home while restaurant service is mostly available as take-out or at outdoor tables only.
