NYC Restaurants Can Finally Resume Indoor Dining, Cuomo Says

NEW YORK CITY — New York City restaurants can resume indoor dining starting Sept. 30, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

Cuomo's long-awaited decision comes with strict health standards to stop the spread of coronavirus.

Restaurants can only serve customers at 25 percent capacity, bar service will remain banned and temperature checks will be required, Cuomo said.

Masks must be worn when patrons are not at a table, and at least one member of each party will be required for contact tracing purposes, among other restrictions.

New Yorkers will help enforce coronavirus regulations, Cuomo said. Compliance has been a sticking point for Cuomo, who recently said New York City officials need to commit to enforcement if indoor dining can return.

The announcement comes within hours of Mayor Bill de Blasio saying he expected a decision to be made as soon as this week. He later issued a release stating the plan "puts health and safety first by including strict capacity limits, a close monitoring of citywide positive testing rates and a coordinated inspection regimen."

“Science will guide our decision-making as we continue to monitor progress and health care indicators over the next three weeks to ensure a safe reopening," he said in a statement. "This may not look like the indoor dining that we all know and love, but it is progress for restaurant workers and all New Yorkers."

This is a developing story. Hit refresh for updates.

Patch reporter Dan Hampton contributed to this report.