NY Gov. Cuomo says NYC can enter phase 4 of coronavirus reopening next week
Phase 4 allows the reopening of schools
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo gave New York City the green light to enter phase 4 of its coronavirus reopening Monday – a day after imposing new restrictions on bars and restaurants amid fears of a second wave.
He previously said he would announce the decision by 4 p.m. Friday.
“Phase 4 will not include indoor activity in malls, restaurants or cultural institutions at this point,” the governor said Friday – activities that the state said would be allowed under the fourth step of reopening.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The rest of the state had already moved into phase 4, with the Big Apple lagging behind in phase 3 due to its dense population and the initial severity of the outbreak there.
Notably, phase 4 does allow schools to reopen.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}It also allows low-risk outdoor activities, outdoor professional sports without fans, and media production to resume.
“We’ll continue to monitor the situation, and when facts change we’ll let you know,” Cuomo said.
Just a day earlier, Cuomo announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants around the state and a “three-strikes” rule for such businesses inside the city limits.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“Any establishment [inside New York City] that receives three violations will be closed for business,” Cuomo said. “Egregious violations can still result in an immediate loss of a liquor license, but three violations and you're closed.”
Cuomo also announced that throughout the rest of the state, reopened restaurants and bars can now only serve alcohol to customers who are ordering and eating food -- as those businesses struggle to recover from coronavirus shutdowns that took a steep financial toll on the industry.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}New York, once the center of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., has seen its numbers fall dramatically over the past few months. Hospitalizations dropped to 765 Friday, the lowest daily total since mid-March, according to Cuomo’s office. The state also announced 10 new deaths, bringing its total to at least 32,147.