New York Governor Andrew Cuomo warned restaurant and bar owners on Sunday following reports from around the state about major gatherings where people ignored social distancing protocols and didn't wear face masks.
The governor said his office received 25,000 complaints of businesses that violated the state's reopening policies. "We have never received more complaints in a shorter period of time," he said, as reported by CBS New York.
Cuomo said most of the complaints come from The Hamptons and Manhattan, adding that he would change course in areas where New York's reopening plan is being ignored. Cuomo stated that inspectors from the state Liquor Authority are out, along with a special unit of investigators.
The governor's warning was issued as the state saw its lowest number of coronavirus hospitalizations since March 20, and the lowest figures of death.
The governor drew attention to the recent increase in cases in states across the US after reopening, warning that New York would not return to that "dark place" because local governments were not doing their jobs.
Cuomo called on the people of New York to follow the law by wearing face masks in public and specifically called out demonstrators and law enforcers who are not wearing them.
According to Cuomo, Manhattan and the Hamptons are the "leading areas in New York with violations... these are not hard-to-spot violations. People send videos of these violations," as reported in The Deadline.com by Bruce Haring.
Just two days earlier, over 200 people were caught on video partying on St. Marks Place in Manhattan's East Village. They were ignoring the city's social distancing mandate.
During a media briefing in Albany, Cuomo said he warned the business establishments in a nice way. "I'm warning you today in a nice way: consequences of your actions," he said, noting businesses can lose their liquor licenses for violating social distancing rules. With 25,000 complaints statewide, Cuomo said "I am not going to turn a blind eye to them," as reported by Ellen Moynihan and Shant Shahrigian of the New York Daily News.
Cuomo said that if local governments fail to impose compliance with pandemic health mandates, their failure to govern will result in closures. His warning was aimed specifically at the Hamptons and Manhattan, where the biggest number of complaints of violations have come from.
New York City is in Phase One of a four-stage plan to reopening. The Hamptons are in Phase 2, which lets restaurant customers to sit outside.
