Cuomo threatens restaurants that violate social distancing with loss of liquor license
Upset by “rampant” violations of New York’s pandemic-fighting restrictions, Gov. Andrew Cuomo threatened Sunday to pull liquor licenses of scofflaw restaurants and even reinstate closings in areas where local governments fail to enforce rules.
Manhattan and Long Island’s tony Hamptons were singled out as problem areas by Cuomo, who said the state has received 25,000 complaints of reopening violations. Cuomo said that the large gatherings and violations of social distancing guidelines were a threat to the hard-won progress New York has made against COVID-19.
“We are not kidding around with this. You’re talking about jeopardizing people’s lives,” Cuomo said at his daily briefing.
The warning comes a day after the Democratic governor reacted sternly to a short Twitter video from New York City of young people enjoying a warm day packed tightly on a city street, many without masks.
New York officials are trying to avoid the fate of states seeing a surge in new cases after reopening. New York's coronavirus-related hospitalizations are declining and the state recorded 23 deaths Saturday, the lowest one-day coronavirus death toll since the early days of the crisis.
New York is loosening restrictions slowly, often phased in by region. In the latest move, Cuomo said Sunday that “low-risk” youth sports like baseball, softball, field hockey and gymnastics can begin on July 6 in regions in phase 3 of reopening. There can be two spectators per child.
But Cuomo warned the ongoing re-openings could be “rolled back” in areas where police fail to enforce social distancing and other pandemic-related rules.
“Before I reverse a statewide position, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do,” he said. “I’m going to reverse it in those areas that are not in compliance with the rules.”
Cuomo said police should take action against individuals who violate open container laws and warned that restaurants and bars that violate the rules are at risk of losing their liquor licenses.
"Local gov't must enforce the law," Cuomo said in a tweet.
New York City officials said they're taking aggressive steps to enforce restrictions, including mask distribution this weekend and encouraging people to disperse after making purchases. A city hall spokesperson wrote in an email that these "businesses are allowed to be open per the governor’s guidelines and we don’t believe imprisoning people or taking away their livelihood is the answer.”
On Long Island, Suffolk County Executive Steven Bellone said in his briefing Sunday that he had not heard of compliance issues in the Hamptons or elsewhere in the county, but that he would follow up with local police.
Cuomo also announced during the press conference that he signed two more bills into law on Sunday, one affirming the right to record police activity and another launching a Department of Health study on the impact of cornavirus on minorities in New York.
With the Associated Press.