Albany, NY (WBEN) Governor Cuomo says all restaurants and bars statewide will be subject to new requirements that they must only serve alcohol to people who are ordering and eating food and that all service at bar tops must only be for seated patrons who are socially distanced by six feet or separated by physical barriers.
Under current law, only establishments that serve food are permitted to serve alcoholic beverages.
He called on local governments to better enforce safety guidelines.
“I’ll tell you what’s less politically popular — if we have to close down a region because compliance wasn’t done,” he said.
Cuomo also announced New York City bars and restaurants face a new policy after a lack of compliance with social distancing. As part of the 'Three Strikes and You're Closed' initiative, any establishment that receives three violations will be closed for business. Egregious violations can result in immediate loss of liquor license or closure before a third strike. Additionally, any establishment facing disciplinary charges by the State Liquor Authority will have its name and location posted publicly and updated on a weekly basis. If the state is alerted to similar noncompliance in other regions of the state, these restrictions will be extended to those areas immediately.
"As we continue our science-based phased reopening, the number of hospitalizations and our rate of positive tests remain steady and low," Governor Cuomo said. "But we need to remember our success fighting this virus is a function of our own actions. Mask wearing, social distancing and hand washing - basic as they may seem - are critical to controlling the spread of this virus. Especially now that we are seeing spikes in cases throughout the country, this is not the time to let up - especially on compliance enforcement. We know the prescription and we know it works - we just need to be smart and do it."