More Restaurant Restrictions May Be On the Way in Staten Island, Upper Manhattan, Cuomo Warns

More restrictions are likely for Staten Island, upper Manhattan restaurants

Restrictions for restaurants in parts of upper Manhattan and Staten Island could be on the way this week if COVID-19 cases continue to rise there at the current pace, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned over the weekend. Gothamist first reported on the development.

Cuomo did not indicate what parts of upper Manhattan were under consideration, but said Staten Island was the most concerning. Parts of the borough are already in the yellow zone, but they could move into orange and red zones this week, Cuomo warned. In an orange zone, restaurants are restricted to outdoor dining with four people per table, along with takeout and delivery, while in a red zone, restaurants are limited to takeout and delivery only. As of Sunday, the positivity rate in the existing Staten Island yellow zone was 4.15 percent on a seven-day rolling average.

As for upper Manhattan, Cuomo indicated a yellow zone designation could be on the way there. As of now, large parts of Queens, the Bronx, and a small section of South Brooklyn are also in yellow zones, where restaurants are limited to serving four people per table both indoors and outdoors, in addition to takeout and delivery. As per city data, NYC’s positivity rate for COVID-19 cases on a seven-day rolling average sits at 3.11 percent right now, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has warned that indoor dining could be shut in the coming weeks.

In other news

— Chef Geoffrey Zakarian is hosting the Great American Foodathon this Wednesday to raise money for City Harvest and No Kid Hungry. The TV special will include appearances by chefs Bobby Flay and Rachael Ray along with performances by John Legend and Josh Groban.

— High concept restaurant company Major Food Group is planning to open three new restaurants in Miami over the course of 2021.

— Krispy Kreme debuted its anticipated Upper West Side location, at the corner of Broadway and West 96th Street, last week.Part of a major expansion push, this now marks the doughnut chain’s seventh location in NYC.

— Decades-old Lower East Side pizzeria Rosario’s has been replaced by Zazzy’s Pizza. Located at 173 Orchard Street, at Stanton Street, the pizzeria is open daily from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. A takeout window is open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

— Excellent choice: