As New York City continues on an encouraging trajectory of recovery, we are actively planning for a safe, responsible citywide comeback that will reconnect us with each other and our beloved five boroughs. Read on for the most useful and current information for navigating the City, plus plenty of resources for planning ahead.
NYC Updates
As of Thursday, November 18, New York City public schools will be closed for in-person instruction, and students will transition to fully remote learning. The previous week, New York State introduced new rules around public activity. Restaurants, bars and other establishments licensed by the State Liquor Authority must close at 10pm, though curbside service can continue afterward. Gyms must close at 10pm as well, and parties at private residences are capped at 10 people.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has introduced a cluster action initiative to help stop further spread of the coronavirus. The plan divides affected areas into red, orange and yellow zones, each of which corresponds to new restrictions on schools and business activities. View an interactive map of the affected areas in the City here. For more information, visit ny.gov.
New York City has entered Phase 4 of Governor Cuomo’s New York Forward plan, reintroducing low-risk outdoor activities like botanical gardens and zoos with capacity restrictions, movie and television production, and professional sports without audiences. Museums and cultural institutions have been allowed to open, with restrictions, since August 24. Restaurants can offer indoor service, at 25 percent capacity (and with other regulations); the determination on whether that capacity can be increased to 50 percent has yet to be made. The Mayor has also announced that the outdoor dining program will be made permanent, meaning restaurants will be able to take advantage of closed streets and sidewalk space where available to keep outdoor dining going year-round. Additional venues, attractions and indoor activities will reopen at a to-be-determined later date. For more information, including an overview of phases 2 through 4, please click here.
NYC Travel Restrictions
Travelers from out of state—except for those coming from New York's contiguous states, which are New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont—and from Level 2 or 3 Travel Health Notice countries must test negative for the coronavirus within three days before their departure from their home state or country. Once staying in New York, travelers must quarantine for three days, then take another Covid-19 test on the fourth day. If the test is negative, the traveler no longer has to remain in quarantine. Travelers who choose not to be tested must remain in quarantine for 14 days.
New Yorkers who leave the state for 24 hours or less must be tested within four days of returning to New York State. The contiguous states are exempt from this rule as well, though Governor Cuomo has discouraged nonessential travel to and from these neighboring states due to their increased infection rates.
The City and Sheriff's Office have implemented checkpoints at various points of arrival into the City to remind travelers and ensure compliance. The Mayor has ordered that hotels and short-term rentals require guests from restricted states to fill out a traveler health form before beginning their stay. The Governor has issued an executive order reminder international travelers from moderate- or high-risk countries of their obligations to quarantine and fill out the form. For more information, visit ny.gov.
We are closely monitoring reopening plans for Broadway and the performing arts. We will share guidelines as soon as they become available.
All In NYC: Stay Well Pledge
The only way forward is to take care of one another. As the City reopens, we’re asking five-borough businesses, and the people who visit them, to commit to the practices that will help keep our community healthy and safe.
Take the Pledge
