Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that restaurants in “orange zones” will be permitted to reopen under “yellow zone” restrictions. Previously, indoor dining had been banned at restaurants in the “orange zones.”
The decision comes after a judge ruled that restaurants in “orange zones” may reopen in upstate New York earlier this week.
In “yellow zones,” restaurants can open for indoor and outdoor dining, though capacities are capped, and only four-person parties are permitted at any table. Bars and restaurants must close no later than 10 p.m.
According to the state, an area will be eligible to an “orange zone if it has a 4 percent positivity rate (seven-day average) over the last 10 days and it is located in a region that has reached 85 percent hospital capacity.
Alternatively, an area may also become an “orange zone” if the State Department of Health determines the region’s rate of hospital admissions is “unacceptably high and a zone designation is appropriate to control the rate of growth.”
There are currently “orange zones” in Chemung, Erie, Westchester, Monroe, Niagra, Onondaga counties, as well as Staten Island.
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