Restaurants will open at the same time as hotels but it’s not yet clear when exactly that will happen
Governor Andrew Cuomo has placed restaurants in phase 3 of the state’s reopening plan Photo by Stefani Reynolds/Getty Images
More details are now out on Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s New York reopening plan — with restaurants put into “phase 3,” behind construction and real estate services.
The plan, announced on Monday, put restaurants in the same group as hotels, though it did not delineate a timeline. Eater has reached out to the governor’s office for comment. Phase 1 includes construction and manufacturing jobs, and phase 2 allows professional services, real estate, and financial services to reopen. Arts and entertainment businesses fall into phase 4.
The timeline largely depends on how various regions in the state overcome the spread of the virus and meet criteria outlined by the governor that would allow the region to reopen. Factors include stats like a 14-day decline in hospitalization and deaths, tests conducted, and the number of available beds hospitals.
New York City is the hardest hit region in the state — of the more than 19,000 deaths in the state, more than 13,000 are in NYC — and has yet to meet all the criteria for reopening.
New York City is yet to meet several criteria determined by the governor for reopening Via Governor Cuomo’s office
At present, New York State has shutdown orders in place until May 15, but only some parts of the state and some businesses will get to reopen after that. As previously reported, several construction sites have already reopened in New York, and restaurants and bars are open for takeout and delivery along with other essential services like grocery stores.
In California, restaurants have been slotted in phase 2 of the reopening plan and are likely to open for some type of dine-in service before July or August. California, though, has a little more than 2,000 deaths, compared to New York’s 19,000.
In NYC, the de Blasio administration is considering adding outdoor restaurant seats on closed city streets, but plans are still up in the air. Industry experts say restaurants may implement a variety of measures, including temperature checks, and the use of smartphones as they look to ease concerns of workers and customers looking to return to dining rooms.
Cuomo’s reopening advisory board includes restaurateur Danny Meyer, Tren’ness Woods-Black from Harlem soul food spot Sylvia’s, and Andrew Rigie of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, which represents thousands of restaurants in the city, all of whom will guide the reopening strategy for places in the city.