NEW YORK NOW - Restaurants and bars in New York state, starting Monday, will be allowed to stay open until midnight, extending the state’s curfew for those establishments by an hour, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.
Racetracks that host horse and auto racing will also be allowed to open at 20% capacity starting April 23, Cuomo said.
“But at same time, we caution New Yorkers. Don’t get cocky,” Cuomo said. “The disease is still very much with us.”
Bars and restaurants have pleaded with the state for months now to lift its 11 p.m. curfew for dining at those establishments, calling the cutoff arbitrary. Republicans in the state Legislature have leveled similar criticisms, asking for the science behind the decision.
Cuomo had rebuffed those criticisms, essentially saying it’s better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the virus.
The state doesn’t have a set schedule for when more regulations will be relaxed, Cuomo said, because the trajectory of the disease, at this point, is unpredictable. But if people continue to get vaccinated, that could change, he said.
“If people continue to get vaccinated, if we continue with the supply, if the hesitancy problem can be overcome … We’re just not there yet,” Cuomo said.
As of Wednesday, a quarter of eligible New Yorkers had been vaccinated, and nearly 40% had received at least one dose.