New York, NY – The editorial board over at the New York Times is calling on New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio to shut down indoor dining. The New York Times in one week has gone from calling Presidential elections to calling for the shutdown of tens of thousands of small businesses across the city.
“New York residents and officials, it’s time to face some cold, hard facts. The city is on the cusp of its second wave of the coronavirus. As such, restrictions need to be brought back, as economically and socially painful as they might be,” the editorial board wrote.
The editors are also calling not only for a shut down of restaurants, but gyms and other “non-essential” businesses.
“Indoor dining at city restaurants should end. Gyms and some other nonessential businesses ought to be closed again. Religious leaders should tell their congregants to stay home, for safety’s sake, until the current surge is brought to heel,” the editorial board said.
Holidays should also be locked down, according to the New York Times. The board wants New Yorkers to head back into a winter long hibernation in their apartments and to force the limiting of holiday plans.
“Holiday plans must be limited,” the board added. “Companies should again tell their staffs to work from home whenever possible. All New Yorkers need to recommit to wearing masks, social distancing and avoiding unnecessary exposure risks whenever possible. Taking these steps will help keep children in the city’s classrooms, which should be a priority.”
“New York City’s mayor, Bill de Blasio, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo should act together, now, to reimpose the restrictions that have proved to slow the spread,” the board wrote in their editorial.