America is experiencing the dreaded second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. With records of recent cases surging, the government is willing to try all efforts to curb the rising infection rate.
According to CBS News, the virus transmission rate in the state has climbed to 1.3. This means that an additional 1.3 people are infected for every case.
In addition, since the holiday festivities are in full swing, people are looking forward to celebrating either at home or dining in their favorite food establishment.
However, according to the NY Times, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced a new restrictions model affecting indoor dining in the city.
In an announcement he made last Friday, Governor Andrew Cuomo stated that indoor dining would shut down for the second time since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
The ban for indoor dining officially started last December 14 until further notice. He also mentioned that indoor dining is high-risk and could further compromise the on-going situation. Also, the cold weather could threaten to keep customers away from outdoor dining.
At the same time, Cuomo also acknowledged that federal lawmakers need to act quickly to save the struggling restaurant industry.
He revealed that as of Friday, there were 1,668 people hospitalized due to COVID-19 in New York City, reaching numbers that warranted such a drastic measure.
The governor is asking restaurant owners to hold on a bit longer and that the end of this battle is near. New York is not the only state undergoing this approach as California, where cases are also climbing, is also considering the same restrictions.
Although restaurants in New York City are required to shut down indoor dining, restaurants in other states where hospitalization rates are too high have reduced their indoor dining capacity from 50% to 25%.
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We can recall that indoor dining was first banned when New York City became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring.
As months passed, it was the last thing to come back during the reopening process, which happened in September. Around 110,000 restaurants have closed this year, and the number is anticipated to rise by 10,000 before the end of 2020.
Back in March, many restaurants overhauled their business models. They likewise made changes to their menu and tried to survive on takeout and delivery.
While it is true that The federal Paycheck Protection Program provided some relief, many restaurant employees were still let go because of fewer customers.
During the summer, outdoor or patio dining brought some hope to the surviving food establishments. They described it as a tenuous lifeline that brought them a fraction of their business.
However, outdoor dining also came with financial costs, as restaurants rushed to set up spaces that would abide by the city's guidelines.
Governor Cuomo also reported that the state is planning to soon start distributing a COVID-19 vaccine. In the coming days, 170,000 Pfizer doses are expected to arrive as an initial installment.
This would be followed by another 346,000 doses of Moderna's vaccine during the week of Christmas.
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