IN YOUR PHASE
City gets green light for next stage of reopening while states that rushed back forced to shut down
Phase three of New York’s reopening is on track to arrive with a bang on July 6 — just after the July 4 weekend — Mayor de Blasio said Thursday.
Get ready to chow down, at a place with tablecloths if you like — phase three means restaurants will offer indoor dining at 50% capacity.
Every dog will have its day when dog runs reopen.
Basketball, tennis, volleyball, handball and bocce courts, along with soccer fields, will also reopen.
“Phase three will … be the time when we start up again a lot of sports and recreation activity in our parks,” de Blasio said at a press conference. “That’s going to be great for all New Yorkers.”
But it all depends on the coronavirus pandemic continuing to abate.
Under the most recent city Health Department data, New York saw 60 new hospitalizations for COVID-19 and 329 patients receiving critical care on Tuesday. That’s not quite in line with benchmarks for when localities can begin phase three.
“We’ve got work to do to get there,” Hizzoner said. “But we can do this and keep moving forward.”
City rules about how restaurants can serve customers indoors will be put out in the coming days, the mayor said.
The state prescribes a range of safety measures for indoor restaurant service.
Tables have to be at least 6 feet apart. Employees have to wear face masks at all times, and customers have to wear one until they’ve sat down to eat.
“We’re looking forward to it,” said Randall De Vargas, co-owner of Randall Restaurant in Hunt’s Point, the Bronx. “A lot of our customers are happy about the whole thing, but we know we won’t be able to open our doors completely.
“We’ve had to adjust a lot,” he added. “We want it, but we’re not expecting it to be normal. We’re just trying to get by.”
Plenty of hungry New Yorkers seemed ready to head back to their favorite eateries, which haven’t been allowed to serve people indoors since mid-March.
“I probably would eat in
side,” said Ameera Brooks, 29, who met up with a pal for an al fresco sangria at Maison Harlem on W. 127th St. — one of countless restaurants and bars now serving customers at outdoor tables.
“I feel comfortable now because it’s controlled,” Brooks said. “If this was packed, I wouldn’t be here.”
Outdoor dining became legal when phase two of the city’s reopening process kicked in on Monday.
As of Thursday morning, 5,287 restaurants had gone through the city’s self-certification process to offer dining on sidewalks, in parking spaces and in backyards and patios, according to the mayor’s office.
Restaurant revenue plummeted nearly 90% during the first four months of the year compared to the same period in 2019, according to the mayor’s office.
Philip Chapman, the owner of Harlem BBQ on Frederick Douglass Blvd. near W. 127th St., said he was in it for the community.
“The neighborhood has been vibrant and tough. We have loyal customers,” he said. “But really, we’re in this for the employees. As an investment, that ship has sailed.”
Phase two also allowed limited reopening of offices and limited services at barber shops and hair salons. It also allowed retail stores to open, with limits on store capacity.
The Big Apple, at one point the national epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, has lagged the rest of the state in reopening.
But with other states seeing alarming surges in coronavirus cases — authorities in Texas paused its reopening on Thursday — New York City could become an example for the rest of the country.