New York City and Los Angeles are among the cities in the United States that have issued harsher restrictions on restaurants, bars and venues.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that all restaurants and bars must close their dining areas and limit business to takeout and delivery. L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti and Hoboken, New Jersey, Mayor Ravi Bhalla imposed the same rule for their cities.
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the closure of restaurants in five counties, which includes Pittsburgh. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell ordered that restaurants close by 9 p.m. and cut capacity by 50 percent.
Governors in Illinois, Washington, Massachusetts, Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Maryland and Rhode Island decided to limit restaurants and bars to takeout and delivery across their entire states. California Gov. Gavin Newsom ordered bars, breweries, and wineries to close. Restaurants in California may continue to operate normally but must cut capacity by 50 percent.
Each of the decisions was made prior to St. Patrick’s Day, a day that usually sees millions of Americans crowd bars and restaurants in celebration.
Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, suggested that a stricter lockdown may be needed in order to curb the spread of coronavirus.
