New York Tightens COVID Restrictions

Restaurants, bars, and gyms will have to close at 10pm across New York state in the latest effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday. The governor said people will also be barred from hosting private gatherings with more than 10 people, the AP reports. Cuomo said the new restrictions, which go into effect Friday, are necessary because new coronavirus infections have been traced to those types of activities. Businesses can reopen each morning. "Bars, restaurants, gyms, house parties, that’s where it's coming from, primarily," Cuomo said. Cuomo’s announcement came days after New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced that bars and restaurants in his state would have to halt indoor dining at 10pm starting Thursday.

The new restrictions will have to be enforced by local governments, including by the police in New York City, Cuomo said. He said that after 10pm, "If the lights are on and people are drinking, they get a summons." The governor spoke as rates of coronavirus infection continued to rise in New York and elsewhere. He said 1,628 people were hospitalized across the state for COVID-19 on Tuesday and 21 people died. Texas, meanwhile, has become the first state to record more than 1 million coronavirus infections. California, which has also tightened restrictions in some areas, is closing in on that number.

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