Restaurants In Orange Zones Now Able To Provide Indoor Dining

PORT CHESTER, NY — Restaurants operating under the strictest coronavirus restrictions will be allowed to offer indoor dining, thanks to a court ruling.

According to information from Kumiki Gibson, counsel to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a state Supreme Court decision Wednesday that temporarily granted a select few restaurants located within an orange zone in Erie County the ability to resume indoor dining is being applied to all restaurants in the state currently operating under orange zone restrictions.

Gibson said the decision is being reviewed, but "while that process is ongoing, to ensure uniformity and fairness, all restaurants operating in orange zones can now operate under rules governing yellow zones."

She said the state disagrees with the court's decision, and its impact on public health, because data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention clearly demonstrates indoor dining increases the spread of the new coronavirus.

In the Hudson Valley, the decision only affects restaurants in Port Chester, which has the only orange zone in the region.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer said the decision was good news for restaurants in Port Chester.

"Restaurants that were forced to close can now open under less restrictive regulations," he said.

"This action by the governor is welcomed and has been advocated for quite a while by those of us in public office," Latimer said.

Under the regulations for an orange zone, restaurants could not offer indoor dining. They could, however, provide takeout and outdoor dining, though colder weather made that difficult if not impossible.

Yellow zone rules allow both indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout. The rules limit diners to four people per table, and bars and restaurants must close at 10 p.m. for on-site consumption.

Patch reached out to several Port Chester restaurants for comment but was not able to immediately get replies.

State Sen. Shelley Mayer and Assemblyman Steve Otis, both of whom represent Port Chester, said they were pleased with the decision, though the court decision is under review by the state.

Mayer said that the 100-plus restaurants of Port Chester were decimated by the more than eight weeks without indoor dining.

"These small businesses are committed to the health and safety of their patrons and their employees, and this uniformity will provide both a level playing field for the restaurants and safety for the diners," she said.

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