You are reading

NYC Eateries Can Increase Their Indoor Dining Capacity to 50 Percent Next Week

Indoor dining (Photo: Queens Post)

March 10, 2021 By Allie Griffin

New York City eateries will be permitted to increase indoor dining to 50 percent capacity starting on March 19, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.

Cuomo upped the capacity from its current level of 35 percent in a joint announcement with Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey. Murphy said New Jersey eateries would be allowed the same increase–to 50 percent.

Outside of the city, restaurants across New York state will be able to fill their dining rooms to 75 percent capacity starting March 19. Those restaurant are currently allowed to operate at 50 percent capacity.

“In New York State, our decisions are based on science and data and we are encouraged by the continued decline in infection and hospitalization rates,” Cuomo said in a statement. “In partnership with the State of New Jersey, we are expanding our indoor dining openings in New York City to 50 percent.”

New York City restaurant owners have been pleading with Cuomo to increase indoor capacity to 50 percent for weeks after he first allowed indoor dining to resume in the city at 25 percent capacity last month.

Since New York City indoor dining was reopened on Feb. 12, there hasn’t been a significant rise in infection and hospitalization rates, according to the state.

“We will continue to follow the science and react accordingly,” Cuomo said. “If we keep the infections down and vaccinations up, we will continue to stay ahead in the footrace against this invisible enemy and reach the light at the end of the tunnel together.”

email the author: news@queenspost.com
No comments yet

Leave a Comment
Reply to this Comment

All comments are subject to moderation before being posted.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Recent News

Fall fun in western Queens: Your guide to the best seasonal events

Aug. 29, 2025 By Jessica Militello

With beach days and summer BBQs behind us, the start of September rings in the start of magnificent Fall foliage, Halloween and more fun activities that come with the start of Autumn, including a list of Fall events in the area. From apple picking to seasonal ciders and more, there is tons to explore in the community. From Mystic Markets to scary movie meet-ups and more, here is a list of Fall events you do not want to miss.

Astoria doctor sentenced to more than two decades in prison for rape and sexual abuse: DA

An Astoria doctor was sentenced to 24 years in prison on Thursday in Queens Supreme Court for raping unconscious acquaintances and sexually abusing hospital patients.

Dr. Zhi Alan Cheng, 35, of Broadway, pleaded guilty on June 30 to four counts of rape in the first degree and three counts of sexual abuse in the first degree in satisfaction of the consolidated indictments against him. He additionally entered an Alford plea to one count of sexual abuse. The defendant — a former gastroenterologist at New York-Presbyterian Queens Hospital — recorded the abuse of his unconscious victims with his cell phone in both his Astoria apartment and at the hospital.