Authorities are set to crackdown on quarantine-fatigued New Yorkers after hundreds were seen congregating outside of restaurants and bars ...
Authorities are set to crackdown on quarantine-fatigued New Yorkers after hundreds were seen congregating outside of restaurants and bars all over the city this weekend, as takeout cocktail and beer services surge in popularity as warmer weather moves in.
With temperatures registering well into the seventies in the Big Apple on Saturday and Sunday, large swaths of residents were seen flocking public spaces and familiar haunts for a sense of normalcy after spending the last two months largely confined to their apartments.
Clusters of people stood outside bars, sat down on sidewalks, and in some cases, even planted themselves down in chairs in the streets outside a number of hotspots across the Upper East Side, the East and West Villages, and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
In what Mayor Bill de Blasio has branded a blatant ‘violation’ of the city’s social distancing orders, revelers were seen downing beers and frozen margaritas in lively scenes that lasted long into the evening.
‘I’m not comfortable at all with people congregating outside bars,’ de Blasio said during a Sunday press briefing of the lively scenes. ‘That violates what we’re saying about social distancing. That puts lives in danger.’
Authorities are set to crackdown on quarantine-fatigued New Yorkers after hundreds were seen congregating outside of restaurants and bars all over the city this weekend
With temperatures registering well into the seventies across Saturday and Sunday, large swaths of Big Apple residents were seen flocking public spaces and familiar haunts for a sense of normalcy
In what Mayor Bill de Blasio has branded a blatant ‘violation’ of the city’s social distancing orders, revellers were seen downing beers and frozen margaritas in lively scenes that lasted long into the evening
The Upper East Side was singled out as having a ‘particular problem’ across the mid-May weekend. At least one UES restaurant served customers on premises, a blatant violation of March’s statewide emergency order
Police officers will be asking groups outside businesses to disperse, de Blasio added, and anybody who refuses may be given a summons. ‘Get your drink and Go home,’ the mayor warned.
For restaurants in New York - which was deemed the country’s coronavirus epicentre in March - offering cocktails and wine for takeout amid a state-wide shutdowns and bans on in-restaurant dining has been become a critical strategy to avoid permanent closure.
The city's lockdown orders have thrown the jobs of more than 150,000 people working in restaurants and bars into jeopardy.
And with the government’s $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) running low, the motivation for owners of bars and eateries to reopen their businesses or expand their services has become more pressing than ever.
De Blasio singled out the Upper East Side as having a ‘particular problem’ across the mid-May weekend. At least one UES restaurant served customers on premises, a blatant violation of March’s statewide emergency order, according to NBC New York.
An army of officers from the New York Sheriff’s Department lined up along Second Avenue and 84th Street on Sunday night to enforce social distancing guidelines and combat the violations seen the night before, officials said.
‘If we have to shut places down, we will if they’re starting to violate these rules,’ de Blasio assured.
For restaurants in New York, which was deemed the country’s coronavirus epicentre in March, offering cocktails and wine for takeout amid a state-wide shutdowns and bans on in-restaurant dining has been become a critical strategy to avoid permanent closure
Clusters of people stood outside bars, sat down on sidewalks, and in some cases, even planted themselves down in chairs in the streets outside a number of hotspots across the Upper East Side, the East and West Villages, and in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.
A woman wearing a protective mask carries glasses of beer as some restrictions begin to lift during the coronavirus on May 16y, 2020
The city's lockdown orders have thrown the jobs of more than 150,000 people working in restaurants and bars into jeopardy (pictured: People congregate outside a Manhattan bar to drink frozen margaritas in the sunshine)
Elsewhere in the city, outside the upscale West Village spot Extra Virgin, diners were seen crowding outside of the restaurant while they awaited their orders.
A manager at the restaurant told Eater on Sunday night that they’re asking customers to be mindful of their neighbors and not to loiter, however, ‘once people aren’t on our property, they technically are not within our jurisdiction,’ he said.
The city has been closing down streets to allow for more outdoor space and to make social distancing easier. Officials have also touted plans for outdoor dining options for restaurants and bars over the summer, however discussions are still in the early stages.
While the uncertainty persists, some restaurants have reportedly been running underground dining operations, Air Mail reported.
It’s claimed that as many as 20 to 40 people have been frequenting ‘basement’ venues all over Manhattan and Brooklyn since the lockdown orders were issued in mid-March.
Lower East Side nightclub Omar’s La Boite has also reportedly held parties during the shutdown, though the claims have been vehemently denied by its owners, Eater reported.
‘They just switch nights every week,’ an insider claimed. ‘If the police come, everyone just says they’re there to pick up their to-go order.’
With the government’s $349 billion Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) running low, the motivation for owners of bars and eateries to reopen their businesses or expand their services has become more pressing than ever
A person in protective face mask carries a bag of food as he leaves a restaurant in Chinatown on Sunday
As of Monday, New York City had 190,408 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15,888 deaths and another 4,832 probable deaths (pictured: a couple wearing masks dance in Times Square on May 17, 2020)
Most of the dwellers seen bar-hopping across the weekend were young, and many opted not to wear masks.
City Councilman Mark Levine, who chairs the Health Committee, blamed the recklessness on ‘quarantine fatigue’ and said he feared it might lead to a rebound in COVID-19 deaths.
As of Monday, New York City had 190,408 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with 15,888 deaths and another 4,832 probable deaths.
Mayor Bill de Blasio said opening the city's strands 'is not the right thing to do in the epicenter of this crisis'
Levine warned it’s ‘only going to get worse as we head into a hot New York City summer’. The democrat urged de Blasio to plan for the safe outdoor use of streets, parks and beaches or risk driving ‘noncompliance underground’.
During his press briefing on Monday, de Blasio said the city may begin phased reopening in the first half of June, allowing construction to resume and retailers to reopen with some restrictions.
The state has identified seven indicators it must follow, including the number of available hospital beds and number of COVID-19 hospitalizations, that it must meet to begin reopening.
According to de Blasio, New York has so far met three of those seven indicators.
New York City has seen a 14-day decline in net hospitalizations and a 14-day decline in hospital deaths and it’s testing more than 30 people per 1,000 residents every month.
In order to meet the remaining guidelines, the city must further drive down new hospitalizations, increase the share of total hospital beds available and increase its share of ICU beds.
'There’s a real subtle balance that needs to be struck but if the question is do we believe we’ll meet all seven state indicators, yes. When? The first half of June,' De Blasio said at a news briefing. 'You can’t guarantee anything in life.'
Circle of gloom? Sunbathers stay within painted zones in Domino Park, Brooklyn on Sunday
People are seen practising social distancing in white circles in Domino Park, Brooklyn on Sunday
Sun-seekers were expected to stay inside the large circles - dubbed human parking spots - which were sprayed six feet apart
Officials are now trying to invent new ways to implement crowd control to stop potential outbreaks. On Sunday law enforcement helped to hand out 7.5 million free face coverings across the five boroughs.
After giving updates about the coronavirus in the city, de Blasio addressed questions about beaches reopening in the city.
'There's obviously a huge interest in the beaches and the state of New York has said that different localities can make different choices and some are deciding in the metropolitan area to open beaches for Memorial Day - the traditional start of the beach season.
'I've said before and I'll say it again. We are not opening our beaches on Memorial Day. It is not safe. It is not the right thing to do in the epicenter of this crisis.'
De Blasio said city officials are going to be 'very smart and careful' about reopening and will continue to watch indicators, which don't 'have us where we need to be yet'.
'After all of the progress we've made fighting back this disease, we're not taking that chance,' he added.
The mayor said he hasn't ruled out beaches reopening later in the summer.
Central Park, Manhattan: People wearing protective masks walk their bicycles past a social distancing sign reading "KEEP THIS FAR APART" at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir in Central Park on Sunday
A view of people enjoying the weather at a very busy Hudson River Park on Saturday afternoon, many of whom aren't wearing face masks
De Blasio said walking on beaches is permitted, but if people start to swim or defy social distancing guidelines then the city will take more drastic measures and put fencing in place to keep people out.
Managers at one New York City park have painted white circles on the grass in a bid to enforce social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic.
On Friday, sun-seekers arrived at Domino Park in Brooklyn to find that they were unable to lay out where ever they wanted.
Instead, they were expected to stay inside the large circles - dubbed human parking spots - which were sprayed six feet apart from one another.
On Sunday Cuomo received a test in order to demonstrate how 'easy' and 'fast' it is to get one done because New Yorkers are not getting tested.
'The new problem is we have more sites and more testing capacity than we're using. We have drive-thru sites that can do about 15,000 [tests] per day. We're doing about 5,000 per day,' Cuomo said.
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