New York to allow museums, aquariums, more to open. What you need to know
Bowling alleys, gyms, museums and other low-risk indoor cultural venues will soon be allowed to open in New York with strict COVID-19 rules, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Friday.
Bowling alleys will be allowed to open Monday, being limited to 50% of occupancy capacity and forced to follow other rules, such as bowlers must have a face covering and every other lane will remain closed. Food and alcohol service will also be limited to wait service, reports USA TODAY Network's New York State Team.
Museums, aquariums and other low-risk indoor cultural venues will be allowed to open in New York City on Aug. 24 with various COVID-19 restrictions, including operating at 25% occupancy capacity. In upstate communities, museums and other indoor venues opened previously.
The opening date and rules for gyms will be revealed on Monday, Cuomo said.
Cuomo said the openings are connected to New York's low infection rate, which has hovered below 1% over the past seven days.
"Given the results that we have and given the progress we’ve made, we’re going to make some changes and adjustments," he said, referring to the openings.
Museums and cultural institutions can open in NYC starting on August 24.
25% occupancy. Timed ticketing required. Pre-set staggered entry.
Face coverings enforced and controlled traffic flow.— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) August 14, 2020
The announcement came after gym and bowling alley owners have pleaded with Cuomo to allow them to reopen. They have been closed since March, when New York shuttered many businesses to slow the spread of coronavirus, which has killed more than 25,200 New Yorkers, the most in the nation.
Gyms had been slated to reopen in Phase 4 of the state's COVID-19 reopening process, which many communities outside New York City reached in late June.
But Cuomo kept gyms closed, citing ongoing concerns about how droplets infected with the coronavirus can be inadvertently spread via air conditioning in crowded indoor spaces.
At the time, Cuomo also delayed the reopening of malls in part based on the same concerns about air ventilation. But he allowed malls to reopen in communities outside New York City in early July, only if they have high-efficiency venting systems capable of reducing the spread of COVID-19.
David Robinson is the state health care reporter for the USA TODAY Network New York. He can be reached at drobinson@gannett.com and followed on Twitter: @DrobinsonLoHud
This article originally appeared on New York State Team: New York museums, gyms, bowling alleys will reopen. What to know
