(DCNF) Mary Rose Corkery
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an order Thursday that will shutter any bar or restaurant after three violations of coronavirus restrictions.
As part of the “Three Strikes And You’re Closed” initiative, any bar or restaurant in New York City will be closed down after three violation warnings, Cuomo said Thursday, according to a transcript.
If a bar or restaurant’s violations are “egregious,” the business will lose its liquor license, Cuomo said.
“It’s wrong. It’s dangerous. It’s selfish. It’s unacceptable,” Cuomo said of violating restrictions placed on businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.
“It’s also illegal, so today beginning in New York City we’re going to enact a ‘three strikes and you’re closed’,” Cuomo said.
“Any establishment that receives three violations will be closed for business. Egregious violations can still result in an immediate loss of a liquor license but three violations and you’re closed,” Cuomo continued.
Cuomo ordered that bars and restaurants in the whole state may only serve alcohol to people who order and eat from the establishment, according to Fox News. Bar services are only allowed for seated patrons, according to the governor’s press release.
New York already requires bars to have food options for customers, according to the governor’s office. “(Existing) law requires any establishment serving alcohol to make food available to customers. This changes that to alcohol can only be served when food is also ordered,” Cuomo spokesman Jonathan Sterne told the Daily Caller News Foundation in an email.
Anyone who observes violations of the new rules can report and send in pictures of potential violations to the state liquor board, the press release noted.
New York Republican Rep. Will Barclay criticized Cuomo’s “3 Strikes And You’re Out” order, saying it “isn’t helpful” to bars and restaurants, Fox reported.
“We need to ensure public health is protected, but threatening closures isn’t helpful,” Barclay told Fox.
“This is the time to be working with businesses — not against them,” Barclay said.
As of Friday morning, there were 409,476 coronavirus cases in New York state, according to The New York Times coronavirus tracker. Cuomo will announce Friday if New York can enter phase 4 of coronavirus recovery, according to the governor’s press release.
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