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.

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
• Child care centers
• Dentists
• Grocery and food production
• Healthcare providers
• Laundromats
• Media
• Restaurants, bars, and cafes
• 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 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.

Adults 70 and Older or with Compromised Immune Systems

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

Residential gatherings of more than 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors are not allowed in private homes.

Any non-residential gatherings of more than 100 people indoors and 500 people outdoors are not allowed.

Beginning May 19, 2021:

• The indoor non-residential gathering limit will increase to 250 people
• The outdoor residential gathering limit of 25 people will be removed
• The indoor residential gathering limit will increase to 50 people

Any event gatherings in excess of the social gathering limits may only occur if all individuals present proof of full vaccination status or recent negative COVID-19 test result.

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.
• Wear a face covering in your home if:
  • Someone who doesn't live in the household is there.
  • You live with others who are sick, recently tested positive for COVID-19, or were recently exposed to someone with COVID-19 (unless alone in a separate room). In these instances, face coverings should also be worn around pets.

If you refuse to wear a face covering, you could be issued a fine.

Learn more about face coverings on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Health and Safety page.

Complaints

To report a lack of social distancing or face coverings, visit the Social Distancing or Face Covering Complaint page.

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 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area for services occurring indoor. 

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.
• If singing is part of the service, individuals must remain at least 12 feet apart while singing and wear a face covering.
• 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.

Effective May 19, 2021, houses of worship will no longer be limited to a percentage of maximum occupancy. Instead, capacity will only be limited by the space available for people to maintain the required social distance of 6 feet. 

Learn more about health and safety rules for religious gatherings. 

To report a house of worship not following social distancing or face covering rules, visit the Social Distancing or Face Covering Complaint page.

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

City Worker Return to Office

Visit the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Schools page for information about:

• 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.

Public Colleges

CUNY

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

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.

As of February 26, 2021, nursing home indoor visitations have the following restrictions:

• Maximum number of visitors is 20% of the residents
• If there is less than 5% of positivity in the county, no testing is required but is encouraged
• If the county has 5% to 10% positivity, then testing must be done in 72 hours
• If the county is greater than 10%, no visitation is allowed except for companionate care
• If there has been a COVID case in the nursing home in the past 14 days, no visitation is allowed
• If a visitor has had both vaccine doses and has gone more than 14 days since getting the second dose, testing is not required

Learn more about nursing home visitation policies.

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

Child care 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 closed permanently after Friday, September 11. RECs are no longer enrolling new students.

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

As of April 10, 2021, asymptomatic travelers entering New York from another country, U.S. state, or territory are no longer required to test or quarantine. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends quarantine for all travelers who are not fully vaccinated or have not recovered from COVID-19 during the previous 3 months.

Travelers that are symptomatic must immediately self-isolate and contact the local health department or their healthcare providers to determine if they should seek COVID-19 testing.

All travelers must continue to fill out Traveler Health Form upon arrival into New York State, unless they left New York for less than 24 hours or are coming to New York from either Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts or Vermont

All unvaccinated domestic travelers who have not recovered from COVID-19 in the past 3 months are recommended to get tested 3-5 days after arrival in New York, consider non-mandated self-quarantine (7 days if tested on day 3-5, otherwise 10 days), and avoid contact with people at higher risk for severe disease for 14 days, regardless of test result.

Regardless of quarantine status, all individuals exposed to COVID-19 or returning from travel must:

• Continue daily symptom monitoring through Day 14;
• Continue strict adherence to all recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions, including hand hygiene and the use of face coverings, through Day 14 (even if fully vaccinated);
• Must immediately self-isolate if any symptoms develop and contact the local public health authority or their healthcare provider to report this change in clinical status and determine if they should seek testing.

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, working 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 not traveling from New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts or Vermont, you will be 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.

The Mayor's Public Engagement Unit is engaging in 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.

Travelers who do not complete the form may be subject to significant fines and a misdemeanor violation.

Online

Learn more about the State’s restrictions for travel.

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.