NYC re-opens restaurants, shops and salons in Phase Two after months of lockdown

‘Employers, store owners, employees, individuals, local governments have to be responsible and do their job,’ says mayor Bill de Blasio

Restaurants, shops and salons are now allowed to reopen in New York City, three months after they were forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As of Monday, New Yorkers are now able to eat at tables outside of restaurants, children are allowed to visit playgrounds, and department stores such as Macy’s, can reopen.

It has been estimated that between 150,000 and 300,000 people will go back to work on Monday, according to the Associated Press.

The reopening is part of the city’s Phase Two of easing lockdown restrictions, after construction and manufacturing jobs were allowed to restart two weeks ago, in Phase One.

There will be four phases in total, and as part of Phase Two, restaurants, salons, shops and offices are allowed to reopen at 50 per cent capacity.

Places of worship are also allowed to reopen, but must limit their capacity to 25 per cent, in the space in which they choose to conduct their service.

Restaurants have been given permission by mayor Bill de Blasio to use sidewalk space for their tables, and he has granted this right until October.

Mr de Blasio said that restaurants reopening will save between 5,000 and 45,000 jobs in the industry, according to CBS News.

Salons and barbershops are also able to reopen, following numerous other states, including Georgia and Texas, who allowed them to restart work in the last couple of months.

Some retail workers are concerned about having to go back to work, at a time when coronavirus cases are rising in states all over the US.

Alex Michaels, a retail worker, told the AP that there could be “a high price to pay” for relaxing restrictions, and Eve Gonzalez, a food industry worker added: “I’m dying to go out, but people’s health is more important.”

However, others in the industry think it’s important that restaurants in the city start to reopen, and Melba Wilson, president of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, said that “this is definitely the infusion that we so greatly needed”.

Ms Wilson added: “We talk about being physically distant, which is important, but being socially active is important, as well.”

As part of stores reopening, Macy’s announced that it is will open its doors again on Monday, but vice president Kathy Hilt, made it clear to the AP that shoppers will be required to wear masks and workers will be temperature checked.

“We want both customers and colleagues to be comfortable and to feel that their safety and health is our top priority,” Ms Hilt said.

Speaking last week about the Phase One reopening in the city, Mr de Blasio said that the number of positive tests in the city has decreased dramatically, but warned that New Yorkers need to continue being careful.

“Employers, store owners, employees, individuals, local governments have to be responsible and do their job,” the mayor said.

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, there are now more than 2.2 million people who have tested positive for coronavirus in the US. The death toll has reached at least 119,997.