New York City businesses are reopening in phases.

The City is currently in Phase 4 of the State’s New York Forward Plan for reopening.

Within each phase, non-essential businesses may reopen if they belong to certain industries. 

Essential businesses and business activities that are open may remain open, but they must follow health and safety rules.

High-Risk Industries

Some industries are considered high-risk from a health standpoint. These include:

• Movie theaters
• Performance venues

The State is undertaking further study before reopening these businesses.

Indoor Dining 

New York State has established guidelines to allow indoor dining at restaurants on September 30, 2020. They will be subject to rigorous inspection protocols and strict occupancy limits. Some requirements for restaurants include: 

• Serve customers at a maximum of 25% capacity
• Conduct temperature checks at every front door for all customers
• Collect Test & Trace data from at least one customer at each table
• Close bar tops for seating - bars will only be used as a source of making drinks and serving them tableside
• Offer COVID-19 protections like PPE for employees
• Space tables six feet apart
• Masks must be worn at all times when not seated at a table
• No service after midnight

The City is currently in Phase 4 of the State’s New York Forward Plan for reopening.

Essential businesses and business activities that are open may remain open, but they must follow health and safety rules.

Essential businesses include:

• Banks and related financial institutions
• Bike repair shops
• Dentists
• Grocery and food production
• Healthcare providers
• Laundromats
• Media
• Restaurants, bars, and cafes (Limited to food take-out and delivery only; waiver provided for carry-out alcohol)
• Pharmacies
• Shipping
• Taxis and car services
• Utilities
• Warehousing

Get information and guidance on essential services under the State Executive Order.

To report an essential business that is open but is not complying with necessary restrictions, visit the Business Reopening Complaint page.

To keep New Yorkers healthy and safe during the pandemic, the State and City have issued new guidelines and are enforcing rules related to social distancing.

Stay home except for:

• Essential needs and tasks, such as getting groceries
• Getting medical care
• Solitary exercise
• Work

If you must leave your home:

• Keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others.
• Wear a mask or a face covering when social distancing is not possible, including on public transportation, in stores, and on crowded sidewalks.
• Bike or walk if possible. Don’t take public transportation unless you need to.
• Stagger working hours, if possible. For example, instead of 9 AM to 5 PM, change some work hours to 10 AM to 6 PM or 8 AM to 4 PM.

Matilda’s Law

The State has enacted Matilda’s Law to protect New Yorkers age 70 and older and those with compromised immune systems.

If you are in one of these groups, please:

• Remain indoors
• Go outside only for solitary exercise
• Pre-screen all visitors by taking their temperature
• Wear a mask in the company of others
• Stay at least 6 feet from others
• Do not take public transportation unless urgent and absolutely necessary

Gatherings of 50 or Fewer

Any gatherings of no more than 50 people are allowed.

You must still keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others and wear a mask or a face covering when social distancing is not possible. Social distancing guidelines and cleaning and disinfection guidelines required by the Department of Health must be followed.

Learn more about cleaning and disinfecting guidelines.

Face Coverings

By the State’s Executive Order, face coverings are required for any individual over the age of two and those who do not have a medical condition that can prevent them from wearing a face covering. Employers must give employees free face coverings and proper protective equipment and provide replacements.

Business owners or building operators, or those authorized on their behalf, can deny access to individuals who fail to wear a face covering on the premises.

The City also strongly recommends that you wear a face covering indoors when you are around other people and you are not in your home, even if 6 feet of distance can be maintained.

Posters

You can get posters displaying reminders of the need to wear a face covering when outside the home.

Online

Download a social distance poster.

Download a social distance poster for grocery stores.

By Mail

Public Parks

New York City parks and playgrounds are open, but some other facilities and spaces are closed. For a list of closures, visit the Parks page.

All park goers are asked to take extra precautions to stay healthy and safe. 

• Solo exercise is allowed, but team sports (such as basketball, football, softball, and soccer) are not allowed
• Keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others
• Avoid gathering in groups

The City is increasing social distancing in parks that have a mix of tight spaces and large crowds.

The City will limit capacity at:

• Sheep Meadow in Central Park
• Hudson River Park Piers 45 and 46

And closely monitor:

• Domino Park
• The Rockaways
• Coney Island
• Orchard Beach

Public Beaches

New York City beaches are currently closed for swimming, sports, barbecues or large gatherings. To learn more, visit the Beaches page.

Open Restaurants

The Open Restaurants program aims to expand outdoor seating options for restaurants and bars. Bar and restaurant owners may apply to place outdoor seating in front of their food establishments on the sidewalk or roadway.

The Open Streets: Restaurants program also provides food establishments extra space by closing select streets to vehicle traffic on Friday evenings and on weekends. Only community-based organizations, Business Improvement Districts (BID), or groups of three or more food establishments can apply for Open Streets: Restaurants.

Learn more about both programs on the Open Restaurants page.

Open Streets

The Open Streets program closes streets to vehicle traffic to make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to stay active while maintaining social distancing.

Open Streets are available daily from 8 AM to 8 PM (unless otherwise noted).

Learn more about the program on the Open Streets page.

Churches, temples, mosques and other religious buildings are allowed to operate with no more than 33% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area for services occurring indoor. For services occurring outdoors, no more than 50 people are allowed.

Drive-in or parking lot services are allowed.

If you attend a religious service, you must follow these health and safety guidelines:

• Keep at least 6 feet of distance between yourself and others unless you are from the same household or if for safety reasons, the core activity requires a shorter distance.
• Wear a face covering at all times unless you are seated.
• Don't sing unless there are at least 12 feet between individuals or if physical barriers are set up.
• Don't hold or shake hands with members of different households.
• If you are attending a funeral, do not touch, hug, or kiss the body of a deceased person who had been confirmed or is suspected of testing positive for COVID-19.

Learn more about health and safety rules for religious gatherings.

COVID-19 is currently impacting many government offices and non-emergency services. Although the City is still available for essential services, many government offices are closed or offering limited in-person assistance.

We encourage you to:

• Use an Agency’s online services
• Contact them through their website, by email, or by phone
• Check their website for the latest service updates

Visit the following pages to learn about closures or service changes for:

• Adult Protective Services
• Beaches
• Birth Certificates
• Child Support
• ​Court
• Department of Finance Business Centers
• Department of Health Clinics:
  • Adult Vaccination and Immunization
  • Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • Tuberculosis
• Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
• Department of Transportation Permits and Customer Service:
  • City Parking Permit for People with Disabilities
  • Parking Permit
• Elections and Voting
• Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card
• Fair Fares NYC
• Family Justice Centers
• Funeral Financial Assistance
• Health Insurance for People with Disabilities
• Health Insurance for Seniors
• HIV and AIDS Services
• Home Care
• Housing Court for Tenants and Landlords
• IDNYC Municipal ID Card
• Immigration and Citizenship
• Inmate Visit
• Jury Duty
• Libraries
• Marriage License
• Medicaid
• NYC Ferry
• Parks
• Public Assistance or Welfare
• Schools
• Senior Centers
• SNAP (Food Stamp) Centers
• Social Security Offices

The Department of Education (DOE) is preparing to reopen public schools for the 2020-2021 school year. 

Visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page for information about DOE’s plans for Return to School 2020, including:

• In-person and remote learning
• Health and safety precautions
• School schedules and programming models

Visit the School Calendar and Closures page for a list of 2020-2021 school holidays and key dates.

Visit the School Reopening Complaint page to report a school not following COVID-19 health and safety rules or to make a complaint about New York City's public school reopening policy.

Charter and Private Schools

If your child attends a charter, private, or parochial (religious) school, you should contact it directly for any questions related to coronavirus preparation and handling, school reopening and closures, and remote learning.

Public Colleges

CUNY

Classes at CUNY college will be held in-person, online, or a combination of both for the Fall 2020 semester. CUNY schools, dorms, and libraries are open.

You can get detailed information online or by contacting your college directly.

Visit your CUNY College website to learn about reopening plans.

Get CUNY coronavirus updates.

SUNY

SUNY has developed individual campus plans to resume on-campus activities and in-person instruction for the Fall 2020 semester.

You can get detailed information online or by contacting your college directly.

Visit SUNY's website.

Learn about campus reopening plans.

Private Colleges

Contact your private college directly for any questions related to coronavirus preparation and handling, including college reopening plans.

Complaints

As part of Phase 4, institutions of higher learning in New York are allowed to reopen and offer in-person instruction, but they must follow health and safety guidelines.

To report a college or vocational/trade school that is not following health and safety guidelines, visit the Higher Education Complaint page.

Nursing homes are now allowed to have limited visitations. In order for a nursing home to have visitors, the facility must have gone 28 days without a COVID-19 case. 

Residents in these facilities will be allowed two visitors at a time and at least one visitor should be 18 years or older. 

Each visitor must:

• Have a temperature check
• Wear a face covering
• Keep at least 6 feet of distance from others

Only 10% of nursing home residents can be allowed visitors at any time.

Learn more about nursing home visitation policies.

To report a problem with a nursing home, visit the Nursing Home Complaint page.

Child care centers were allowed to reopen on July 13.

Centers must follow strict safety guidelines including:

• No more than 15 children per room, social distancing
• Face coverings for staff and children
• Daily health screenings
• Frequent cleanings and disinfection
• Limited sharing of items including toys

The Department of Health will inspect programs to verify compliance.

Contact your child care provider for more information about reopening.

Get health and safety guidelines for child care centers.

Child Care Options

Regional Enrichment Centers (RECs) were created to provide childcare for essential workers during the COVID-19 pandemic from March through the summer of 2020.

All RECs will close permanently after Friday, September 11. RECs are no longer enrolling new students.

Beginning September 21, the Department of Education's Learning Bridges program will provide free childcare options for children from 3-K through 8th grade on days when they are scheduled for remote learning. To learn more, visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page.

Building Space for Child Care Facilities

Property owners with available building space that could potentially be used for child care facilities can submit application to rent or sell space to the City.

Submit an application.

Service Status

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is operating the MTA Essential Service Plan on subways, buses, Long Island Rail Road, and Metro North Railroad until further notice.

If you're not traveling for work or for urgent personal business like a medical appointment, do not use the public transportation or Access-a-Ride paratransit in order to keep limited capacity available for people who must travel.

Online

Get the latest information about MTA service during the outbreak.

By Phone

Parking Rules

Alternate Side Parking Schedule

For information about Alternate Side Parking (street cleaning) changes or suspensions, visit the Alternate Side Parking (ASP) page.

Open Streets

When ASP is in effect on an Open Street, vehicles should leave the street and may return after ASP is over. If barriers are in place, they should be set up in a way that cars can drive around them.

While driving in and out of the street, please watch for pedestrians and travel at 5 MPH.

Parking Tickets

Any New Yorker under isolation who has received a ticket can request a hearing with the Department of Finance and should provide medical documentation or testimony, which will be taken into consideration when their case is reviewed. To learn how to dispute a parking ticket, visit the Parking Ticket or Camera Violation Dispute page.

Taxis and Car Services

Face Coverings

Protect yourself and others. All Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) drivers and passengers must wear a face covering. You can use a homemade mask, bandana, or a scarf.

Pooled Rides

For the safety of drivers and passengers, the City has temporarily banned pooled rides in TLC-licensed high volume for-hire vehicles such as Uber, Lyft, and Via.

This ban does not apply to paratransit vehicles.

Travel to New York State

Effective midnight June 24th, any person traveling to New York State must self-quarantine if they are arriving from a state, territory, or district with:

• A positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average, OR
• A 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average

Travelers, including New York State residents, who have visited any of these designated states or territories are required to complete the New York State Traveler Health Form and quarantine for a period of 14 days upon entering New York City.

Failure to quarantine is a violation of State law, and individuals who fail to quarantine are subject to a $10,000 fine. Individuals who refuse to fill out the New York State Department of Health travel form are subject to a $2,000 fine.

Identified states, territories, and districts are:

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Florida
• Georgia
• Guam
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Oklahoma
• Puerto Rico
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Virginia
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin

Exception to the travel advisory is permitted for essential workers and is based on how long they were in the identified states, territories, and districts and how long they will be in New York.

Quarantine Checkpoints

The City has COVID-19 quarantine checkpoints at key entry points into New York City to ensure compliance with New York State quarantine orders and continue to contain COVID-19. The New York City Sheriff’s Office, in coordination with other law enforcement agencies, will operate traveler registration checkpoints at major bridge and tunnel crossings into New York City. Checkpoint locations may change on a daily basis.

When a vehicle is stopped at a checkpoint, the driver and passengers will be asked where they are traveling from and how long they were in that location. If you are traveling from an identified state, you will be informed of the 14-day quarantine requirements and instructed to complete an online New York State Health Department Travel Form as soon as possible. Travelers can expect to spend less than 5 minutes at the checkpoint. If you have already completed the travel form and can show the email confirmation that you have done so, you will be dismissed from the checkpoint faster.

Starting Thursday, August 6, the Mayor's Public Engagement Unit will begin outreach at Penn Station to educate incoming passengers, from states with high COVID-19 transmission rates, about New York State home-quarantine orders.

Hotels or Short-Term Rentals

Starting Friday, August 21, anyone who has visited a restricted state or territory within the last 14 days is required to complete the New York State Traveler Health Form before checking into a hotel, motel, inn, or a short-term rental in New York City. 

If you have already filled out the form, you may show proof, such as a screenshot of the certification page of a completed form.

You will not be allowed access to a room until you have completed the form electronically or on paper.

Online

Learn more about the travel advisory.

Complete the New York State Traveler Health Form.

Learn more about mandatory traveler health form completion at hotels and short-term rentals.

By Phone

You can report people who are not complying with self-quarantine traveling guidelines by phone.