Councilman Fernando calls for NYC restaurants opening at 50% capacity
The New York City Councilman and Majority Whip, Fernando Cabrera, has urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to allow New York City restaurants to open at 50%.
While making call on Thursday January 27, 2021, Cabrera stated that “On December 14, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo again banned indoor dining at New York City restaurants in response to a second wave of COVID-19 cases in spite of data that showed private gatherings – not indoor dining – was the biggest cause of the uptick in coronavirus infections.”
He added that the New York City’s infection rate has not been lowered by closing the restaurants.
“We need a strategy that recognizes both public health and restaurant owners’ need to keep their businesses open and their workers employed.
“Opening restaurants at 50% capacity is one way to do this. Tens of thousands of people in the City continue to be unemployed and restaurant owners have reached their tipping point, where the jobs they provide and the tax revenues they generate will be lost forever,” he said.
“This is a major blow to our economic recovery and the livelihoods of people who work in the industry. There’s no rationale for allowing indoor dining in Westchester and Long Island restaurants and prohibiting it in New York City.
“We need indoor dining restored in the five boroughs now. Let’s do 50% capacity and save jobs and livelihoods,” Cabrera added.
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