State will end curfew on food and beverage businesses

Posted 28 April 2021 at 10:03 am

Midnight curfew ends May 17 for outdoor areas and May 31 for indoor sites

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor dining areas beginning May 31.

Governor Cuomo also announced that the 1 a.m. curfew for catered events where attendees have provided proof of vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test result will be lifted beginning May 17, with the curfew for all catered events set to be lifted May 31.

Additionally, the Governor announced that catered events can resume at residences beginning May 3 above the State’s residential gathering limit of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, as long as the events are staffed by a professional, licensed caterer, permitted by the respective locality or municipality, and strictly adhere to health and safety guidance, including social and event gathering limits, masks, and social distancing.

Also on May 3, the guidance for dancing among attendees at catered events will be aligned with neighboring states, replacing fixed dance zones for each table with social distancing and masks.

Finally, the Governor announced that starting May 3, seating at bars will be allowed in New York City, consistent with the food services guidance that is in effect statewide.

“Lifting these restrictions for restaurants, bars and catering companies will allow these businesses that have been devastated by the pandemic to begin to recover as we return to a new normal in a post-pandemic world,” Cuomo said. “To be clear: we will only be able to maintain this progress if everyone gets the Covid vaccine. It is the weapon that will win the war and we need everyone to take it, otherwise we risk going backward.”

Ortt: ‘Small businesses can’t afford to wait another day’

UPDATED 12:15 p.m.: State Senate Leader Rob Ortt issued this statement:

“While we are pleased that this long overdue action was finally taken by the Legislature today, there is still much more to be done – including the immediate elimination of the completely arbitrary curfew and capacity restrictions that hurt our bars and restaurants.

“The Governor may have announced that his arbitrary curfew will be lifted in a few weeks, but our small businesses can’t afford to wait another day.

“The Legislature should not only immediately repeal these nonsensical, non-scientific orders – we should also fully repeal the Governor’s emergency powers and restore local control to the officials who are best equipped to make decisions for the residents who elected them, and their local economies.

“New Yorkers are sick and tired of a Governor who transparently bases all of his decision-making on political science, not medical science. In the best interest of all New Yorkers, we must finally re-establish the Legislature as a co-equal branch.”