New York Casinos, NYC Malls Can Reopen At Reduced Capacity: Cuomo

NEW YORK, NY — Casinos in New York and malls in New York City will be allowed to reopen in the coronavirus era, but with public health restrictions such as reduced capacity and social distancing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Thursday.

Cuomo set a reopening date of Wednesday, Sept. 9, for each. Casinos can reopen at 25 percent capacity, while malls in New York City can reopen at half capacity. Both will have to require masks and social distancing, and both must install advanced air filtration systems.

Casinos will not be allowed to have table games unless they can install adequate physical barriers between players. No casino in New York has such barriers, budget Director Robert Mujica said. Slot machines will have to be separated by 6 feet or be separated by physical barriers.

The state's Gaming Commission will enforce compliance.

Cuomo said he agrees with New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson that restaurants in the city should reopen, but noted lack of compliance among bars and restaurants already complicates the situation.

“We have major problems in New York City with the bars,” Cuomo said.

He added: "I have beseeched New York City to do a better job with enforcement."

The state is taking state police resources from many other places to supplement compliance for bars in New York City, Cuomo said, adding indoor dining would only exacerbate the issue.

Seven establishments across the state received violations Wednesday: three in New York City and four in Suffolk County on Long Island.

The state will contact Johnson on Thursday and tell him restaurants may be allowed to reopen for indoor dining if the city creates a sizable task force to monitor compliance.

The announcement comes as the state conducted about 88,000 tests Wednesday. About 1 percent of tests were positive and seven people died of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. The number of hospitalizations fell to 430, with 170 patients receiving intensive care treatment and 61 needing intubation.

The state is still monitoring the situation in western New York, which Cuomo called "not good news." The region saw 1.9 percent of tests return positive, with 4 percent of rapid tests returning positive.

Cuomo also said state health officials will unveil a dashboard that parents can use to monitor the number of tests and positive cases within schools. The numbers will be updated daily, he said.

"I hope this will give parents confidence of the plans being implemented," Cuomo said.

He also hopes it will shine a light on inadequate plans, and allow them to be quickly remedied.