Mayor Bill de Blasio announced that New York City would extend its program designed to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic until Sept. 30, 2021, during a press conference Tuesday.
The Open Storefronts program, an initiative that allows ground-floor businesses to use the sidewalk space in front of their storefronts on a temporary basis, first launched Oct. 30 and was set to expire at the end of 2020.
“Open Storefronts has given business owners an easy way to maximize their space and keep customers safe as they shop,” said de Blasio, according to ABC7 New York. “We remain committed to giving small businesses more chances to thrive, and we’re excited to give them more opportunities to participate in this program throughout the winter and warmer months.”
Some local businesses are celebrating the news.
“We are extremely happy to hear about the storefront program extension,” said Bobby Sansarran of SHAKTI Saree & Spiritual, a small business that sells Hindu religious items.
Still, other New York restaurateurs are displeased with their elected officials’ handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier in December, a group of New York City restaurants banded together to prohibit Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who announced on Dec. 11 that he was shutting down indoor dining in the nation’s most populous city for a second time, from patronizing their establishments.
“He can eat at some sh—- roadside diner outside of Albany, but he will not be served anywhere in New York City, known universally as the world’s greatest dining destination,” said bar owner Larry Baird. “If he has to use the restroom, he can go pee on my street corner.”
The restaurant regulations coincide with an uptick in coronavirus cases in the Empire State. New York has more than 930,000 diagnosed cases, with 37,595 deaths attributed to the disease statewide, according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker.
