New York, July 6 (IANS) New York City will enter phase three of reopening on Monday as scheduled, but without the resumption of indoor dining, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said.
On Sunday, Cuomo said New York City was the global epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis until recently, and “out of an abundance of caution and after seeing other states’ experiences”, the state will wait to reopen indoor dining as the city moves to phase three on Monday, reports Xinhua news agency.
He urged people to “continue the smart practices that have made our state a national leader in combatting this virus”, including social distancing, using hand sanitizer and wearing a mask.
He also reminded local governments of their duty to enforce the standards to ensure a safe reopening.
The state has reported nearly 400,000 COVID-19 cases, reaching 397,131 on Sunday, of which New York City accounted for 216,969 cases, according to official figures.
A total of 63,415 tests were conducted across the state on Saturday, 533, or 0.84 per cent, turned out positive.
Meanwhile, total COVID-19 hospitalization fell to 832, according to Cuomo.
To boost the business of local restaurants, New York City has launched an outdoor dining initiative, in which 22 Open Streets, altogether 2.62 miles (about 4.2 km) long, will have Open Restaurants on them on weekends throughout this summer.
“We’re very excited. It is going to open up a world of possibilities and get a lot of people back to their jobs. We want to help working people,” said New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier.
–IANS
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