Cuomo Deals 'Huge Blow' to Crippled Restaurant Industry with New Virus Mandates
New York City restaurant groups spoke out Thursday against Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s recent string of coronavirus restrictions, Fox Business reported.
Cuomo announced in a tweet on Wednesday that bars and restaurants which hold liquor licenses will be ordered to close at 10 p.m.
Gyms will also be subject to the 10 p.m. closure mandate, which takes effect Friday.
NYS is taking action to stop the spread in response to rising COVID numbers.
Any establishment with a state liquor license, including bars and restaurants, must close at 10pm.
Gyms must also close at 10pm.
These new statewide rules will take effect Friday, 10pm.
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) November 11, 2020
New York State Restaurant Association president and CEO Melissa Fleischut said Cuomo’s restrictions were a “huge blow” to a “restaurant industry that is desperately trying to stay afloat.”
“Our members have put in place procedures and protocols to mitigate the spread, and we’ll continue to do so to ensure the safety of our employees and patrons,” Fleischut told Fox.
“We understand the logic behind micro-cluster restrictions, but at this time we have concerns about blanket statewide restrictions like this.”
Andrew Rigie, executive director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, also criticized the governor’s mandate. He said Cuomo’s closures could result in job losses for “tens of thousands of New Yorkers.”
“These new restrictions should be publicly justified with contact tracing data because they will make it even more difficult for these small businesses to survive,” Rigie told Fox.
“We demand that our elected leaders provide financial support to our city’s restaurants and bars before they permanently shutter and put tens of thousands of New Yorkers out of work.”
Previously, the governor’s office announced that indoor dining could resume at 25 percent capacity starting on Sept. 30.
According to an October estimate, half of New York’s bars and restaurants could face permanent closure over the next six months.
Approximately 4,800 people tested positive in New York state on Tuesday, according to the New York Department of Health.
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