Indoor dining and drinking is off the table as NYC re-opens under Phase Three rules on Monday, July 6th, even as personal care services such as haircuts, manicures, massages and tatoos re-open.
NYC Parks is reopening dog runs, basketball courts, tennis courts, volleyball courts, handball courts and bocce courts. However, organized team sports and group play remain high-risk activities remain off-limits, due to social distancing requirements.
NYC libraries re-open for “grab and go” services, later this month.
The joint decision by NYC and NY State not to implement indoor dining reflect alarm over the rising number of virus cases in cities and states which opened indoor eating and drinking. Clearly, Mayor de Blasio and Governor Cuomo don’t want that happening here, where we have worked so hard to flatten the curve.
So, it’s Phase Two for restaurants and bars and Phase Three for everything else.
See our guide to Phase Two outdoor eating, which also applies to Phase Three
See our guide to what’s open and closed, updated every Monday.
It’s been a tough three months, especially for the frontline workers who have saved so many lives, for the families of loved ones who did not survive, and the emergency service workers who have kept us safe, and also for those of us who have lost our jobs.
All these guidelines are from the NYC government website
Basically, the six foot distancing rule still applies, as does wearing a facemask, and the number of customers is limited to 50% of normal capacity.
We are encouraged to make appointments for shopping, haircuts or manicures, and to make a reservation and order online before heading to the restaurant.
See our guide to what’s open and closed, updated every Monday.
Since outdoor dining rules have not changed, let’s start with the new rules
Phase Three Rules for Personal Services
(Hair & Nail Salons, Barber Shops, Tattoo Parlors)
Mandatory
Both the workforce and customers are limited to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy, who must maintain 6 ft. of separation from others, except during the service, and, in all cases, only be permitted entry if wearing an acceptable face covering; provided that the customer is over age 2 and medically able to tolerate one.
Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals at all times, unless safety or the core activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. performing a piercing/tattoo, providing a massage, performing a manicure/pedicure).
Employees must wear face coverings any time they interact with customers (e.g. performing a service, ringing up a purchase) and any time they come within 6 ft. of another person.
Ensure that customer seating allows customers to maintain a 6 ft. distance from all others except for the employee providing service (e.g. tattoo and piercing workstations, massage tables, or salon workstations must be 6 ft. apart from each other), unless a physical barrier is in place in accordance with OSHA guidelines.
Ensure that employees at appointment desks/cash registers maintain 6 ft. of distance from others, unless there is a physical barrier (e.g. plexiglass) between them, or the employee is wearing a face covering; however, even with a barrier, employees must wear a face covering any time they interact with a customer.
Close waiting rooms.
Establish designated areas for pickups and deliveries, to limit contact.
Recommended
Implement “by appointment only” policy to limit walk-in customers and congregation.
Walk-in customers who are not able to be immediately served should be provided a time to return.
Ask customers to wait in cars or outside the personal care facility at least 6 ft. away until the appointment time.
Consider electronic alternatives to in-person appointments where appropriate for visits, such as aftercare follow-up, troubleshooting, and other consultations.
Tattoo and piercing parlors should consider posting designs online or in the window in order to minimize the amount of time that customers spend in the business, to the extent possible.
Nail specialty facilities should ensure that nail polish bottles or other shared items are removed from displays or secured to prevent handling by multiple customers.
Modify layouts and reduce bi-directional foot traffic by posting signs with arrows in narrow aisles, hallways, or spaces.
Provide clearly designated, separate entrances and exits.
Post distance markers using tape or signs that denote 6 ft. of spacing in commonly used areas (e.g. in front of appointment desks/cash registers).
Restaurants, Cafes and Bars
See our guide to Phase Two outdoor eating, which also applies to Phase Three
See our guide to what’s open and closed, updated every Monday.
Mandatory
Limit indoor capacity to no more than 50% of maximum occupancy, exclusive of employees.
Limit outdoor capacity to the number of tables that can be safely and appropriately arranged, such that each table is a minimum of 6 ft. away from another.
All indoor and outdoor tables with seating for customers must be separated by a minimum of 6 ft. in all directions.
Wherever distancing is not feasible between tables, physical barriers must be enacted between such tables.
Barriers must be at least 5 ft. in height and not block emergency and/or fire exits.Regardless of physical distance, employees must wear an acceptable face covering at all times.
Patrons must wear face coverings at all times, except while seated; provided that the patron is over the age of 2 and able to medically tolerate such covering.
Individuals seated at the same table must be members of the same party (but may be from different households), with a maximum of 10 people per table.
Seating in bar areas and communal tables are only permitted if at least 6 ft. can be maintained between parties.
Clearly signal 6 ft. spacing in any lines for customers waiting to order, pick-up food, be seated, or use the restroom, as well as in any pick-up or payment location.
Designate entrances/exits for customers and separate entrances/exits for employees, where possible.Limit in-person employee gatherings (e.g. staff meetings) to the greatest extent possible.
Establish designated areas for vendor pickups and/or deliveries, to limit contact.
Recommended
Employees should work at a distance of at least 6 ft. at all times, unless the core activity requires a shorter distance. (e.g. cooking, cleaning, clearing tables).
Modify the use and/or restrict the number of work stations/employee seating areas to maintain 6 ft. distance in all directions.
Servers should serve specific zones in the restaurant to minimize overlap.
Kitchen staff should be dedicated to one station throughout their entire shift. (e.g. salad or grill or desserts), to the extent possible.
Encourage kitchen staff to place items on the counter for the next person to pick up, rather than passing items from hands to hands.
Reduce bi-directional foot traffic by using tape or signs with arrows in narrow aisles, hallways, or spaces.
Encourage customers to wait in their car or outside until food is ready to be picked up/they’re ready to be seated.
Encourage customers to place orders online or by phone.
Allow for contactless order, payment, delivery, and pick-up, where possible.
Allow customers that will be seated to order food prior to arrival, and encourage customer reservations for seating.
Ensure a one-at-a-time process for vendors, in which one vendor delivers a product at a time, employees clean and disinfect high touch surfaces, and the next vendor can comes on the premises.
What do you think about this? We welcome your comments.