Governor Cuomo has held daily briefings the last few days and has made several announcements we wanted to share.
Beginning at 10:00 p.m. this Friday, all state liquor authority licensed establishments must close at 10:00 p.m. daily. Restaurants can stay open past 10:00 p.m. for curbside food pick-up only. In addition, gyms will have to close at 10:00 p.m. as well. The Governor also announced that parties at private residences will be capped at 10 people. For households with more than 10 people, then the cap is those in the household.
The Governor also made more announcements regarding microcluster designations around the state. Portions of Monroe, Erie, and Onondaga counties as well as Waverly, in Tioga County, and Staten Island are now designated Yellows Zones. Port Chester will go from a Yellow Zone to an Orange Zone. Finally, Steuben County will move out of the Yellow Zone and no longer be a microcluster. To see the latest on the zone designations and to see if your area has been impacted, you can visit here.
As a reminder, a Yellow Zone designation means mass gatherings will be limited to 25 people maximum whether indoor or outdoor; 50% capacity for houses of worship; all businesses will remain open; dining will be allowed indoor or outdoor, with a 4 person per table limit; and schools will remain open—however, there will be mandatory weekly testing of students, teachers, and staff for in-person settings.
An Orange Zone designation means mass gathering will be limited to 10 people maximum whether indoor or outdoor; there will be 33% capacity, or 25 people maximum, for houses of worship; high-risk businesses (gyms, personal care, etc.) will be closed; dining will be takeout or outdoor only, with a 4 person per table limit; and schools will operate remotely.
If you have additional questions about this update, please reach out to a member of our Government Affairs practice group for assistance: