You are reading

NYC Indoor Dining may be Delayed: De Blasio

Indoor Dining Stock: Unsplash

June 29, 2020 By Christian Murray

The city’s plan to allow bars and restaurants to reopen their indoor space next week is now being called in question.

The sudden uptick in COVID-19 cases in other U.S. states has been linked to indoor dining, causing the mayor and governor to rethink the reopening timeline in New York City. The restaurants, subject to several restrictions, are currently allowed to reopen their indoor space when Phase 3 begins Monday, July 6.

“We all love indoor dining but we see problems,” de Blasio said at his City Hall briefing this morning. He said there have been a number of clusters in other states that have been linked back to bars and restaurants.

“California had made great progress, “he said, but “they now slipping back and they are changing the rules regarding bars and restaurants.”

De Blasio said that “we’re increasingly concerned” and that his team is working with the governor to re-examine the indoor dining rules for phase three. The rest of Phase Three—from the reopening of nails salons to dog runs—remains on track.

“We can do the outdoor dining on a much bigger scale, but the indoor we really need to examine closely and come to a decision in the next couple of days,” de Blasio said this morning.

The mayor said that the outdoor dining concept–dubbed “Open Restaurants” by the city– is working.

“We want to double down on outdoor dining,” he said, noting that 6,200 restaurants have applied and been certified for outdoor dining.

The city is in the midst of launching a program that combines Open Restaurants and Open Streets to promote outdoor dining. The administration aims to open 10 to 20 corridors that will be closed to vehicular traffic to permit expanded street dining.

Restaurants on these corridors will be able to go farther away from the curb than other Open Restaurants participants, and the rest of the streets will be open to pedestrian traffic.

The first streets to be part of the program are already closed to vehicles, being part of the existing Open Streets program. They are expected to be ready for street dining by the July 4 holiday weekend.

Additional streets will be closed under the program if restaurants and other groups coordinate through a single entity or partner group and show that it can be done safely.  They are expected to be approved by Friday, July 17.

The City will quickly review applications and consult with elected officials and Community Boards to ensure safety and appropriate design.

Mayor’s Office

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.


The reCAPTCHA verification period has expired. Please reload the page.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Celebrate the season: a guide to fall events at Queens Botanical Garden

Sep. 18, 2025 By Jessica Militello

There is nothing quite like witnessing the beauty of fall amongst the plants and wildlife at the Queens Botanical Garden. The 47-acre sanctuary offers a tranquil respite from the city, including an array of classes, events and workshops to learn more about nature and connect with the community. The garden has a variety of exciting events and programs to fully immerse oneself in the autumn season, from their Apples and Honey Day Festival to kids’ programs and much more. Whether you are looking to volunteer or tap into your creativity, here is a list of upcoming events.

CM Julie Won vows to vote against OneLIC Neighborhood Plan if neighborhood priorities are not included

Sep. 18, 2025 By Shane O’Brien

Council Member Julie Won has once again outlined that she will vote against the OneLIC Neighborhood Plan unless the comprehensive neighborhood rezoning includes specific community guarantees — including a commitment to provide deeply affordable housing, over 1,300 new school seats, a substantial increase in open space, and a comprehensive plan to improve resiliency in the neighborhood.

Suspect sought in Kew Gardens jewel heist at private residence near Forest Park: NYPD

Police from the 102nd Precinct in Richmond Hill are looking for a bearded burglar who was captured on video surveillance pulling off a jewel heist at a Kew Gardens home four blocks east of Forest Park late last month.

The suspect was seen walking on 84th Street near 118th Street at around 4:45 a.m. when he unlawfully entered a private residence through a rear door. Once inside, the suspect went into a bedroom and removed a black box, which contained jewelry valued at approximately $1,950, police said. The stranger left the home and ran off southbound on 118th Street toward Bessemer Street in Richmond Hill. There were no injuries reported after the jewel heist.

Suspect wanted for allegedly groping three women as they walked to work in Corona: NYPD

Police from the 115th Precinct in Jackson Heights are looking for a serial groper who targeted three women in 20 minutes on Monday, Sept. 1, in Corona.

The first incident occurred at around 5:55 a.m. as a 37-year-old victim was walking to work near the intersection of 103rd Street and 37th Avenue when a stranger approached her from behind and allegedly grabbed her buttocks before running off westbound on 37th Avenue toward 102nd Street.