Today, July 6th, New York City will enter Phase 3 of its reopening.
While the original plan called for indoor dining to return at reduced capacity for this phase, last week Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that would no longer be happening, as socializing inside restaurants and bars appears to be linked to some of the outbreaks we’re seeing around the country, Gothamist reports.
While restaurants and bars will not be reopening their indoor spaces, some other indoor spaces will be reopening in Phase 3. Here’s what you’ll see return this week:
Phase 3 begins on Monday, July 6th. What will reopen? Dog runs, Tattoo parlors Spas, including massage parlors
Personal care salons (hair salons reopened in Phase 2, but Phase 3 will see the reopening of nail salons, tanning salons)
The Parks Department is reopening basketball, handball, tennis, bocce and volleyball courts
Additionally, group gatherings of up to 25 people are now allowed (with social distancing and mask compliance).
The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and other data points are available at forward.ny.gov. Over the past two weeks, positive test rates have fluctuated from around 1% and 1.5%. As of Saturday, July 4th, NYC had a positivity rate of .91%, and New York State had a positivity rate of .84%. (For comparison, NYC positivity rates were 1.43%. and New York State positive rates were 1.23% when we entered Phase 2 on June 22nd).
VIDEO: MTA Chairman Pat Foye on what New Yorkers can expect when they take public transportation.
So restaurants and bars are linked to outbreaks but the protests are not.
Hypocrites.
Get out of your US bubble this is what world data seems to show… indoor social spaces are the #1 spreader. And it’s common sense too, when was the last time you were in a bar especially?