A Guide To New York City's Reopening

On Monday, June 8th, New York City will enter Phase 1 of a four-part reopening plan. The city has been under a stay-at-home order (or as Governor Andrew Cuomo branded it: PAUSE) since March 22nd, though many aspects of life in the city were already winding down in the weeks before that. In mid-March, bars and restaurants moved to take-out and delivery only, schools shut down, cultural institutions and Broadway went dark, and many companies pivoted to a work-from-home plan. Millions of New Yorkers have been largely sequestered in their apartments for three months in an effort to help curb the spread of COVID-19, but now the city will attempt to slowly reopen, and below you can find the key points to each phase.

But first, you can't talk about reopening the city without talking about the city's main arteries — here's the MTA's plan:

Mass Transit

The city's mass transit system has remained open (with limited hours) throughout the pandemic for essential workers, but now more will be re-entering the system as we reopen. And the subway is going to be a particularly difficult place to make New Yorkers feel safe, given the often prolonged time spent on platforms and in subway cars in close proximity to others. Just ahead of today's reopening, the MTA offered a 13-point plan for a safe reopening, which came down to hand sanitizer, masks and floor markings to help with social distancing.

How safe is mass transit at this time? We asked several epidemiologists and health experts.

Reopening NYC

When this began, we were the epicenter of the pandemic, but as we enter Phase 1, that is no longer the case. Positive rates are currently on the decline, and as long as there isn't a spike, NYC will keep hitting the benchmarks needed for each phase of the reopening. Below is the plan as it stands now, however, things may change as we move along (for example, outdoor dining was brought into Phase 2, when originally it was going to be in Phase 3).

Throughout New York's reopening process, you will be seeing social distancing markers — on subway platforms, in office buildings, and even on sidewalks in front of establishments. Businesses that reopen will have to follow a set of safety protocols as outlined by New York State, and those not following protocol could be fined.

If you are a business owner and unsure if you can reopen, here's a tool to find out. And here is the city's website on reopening.

PHASE 1

Phase 1 begins on Monday, June 8th. It's believed up to 400,000 people may be returning to work, with many likely returning to the city's mass transit system. Reopening does not mean going back to the normal we once knew – these phases still call for social distancing and other protocols we have been practicing for months.

Transportation

• Alternate Side Parking Regulations will be suspended through Sunday, June 21st
• Subway service will return to normal (though the overnight shutdowns from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. will continue)

What will reopen?

• Construction (while some essential construction has continued, in Phase 1 over 33,000 construction sites will reopen)
• Manufacturing
• Wholesale supply chain businesses
• Retail (curbside and in-store pickup; this includes clothing stores, florists, sporting goods, bookstores and more)
• Agriculture, fishing, forestry & hunting
• Landscaping businesses

Safety Protocols

• Reduced occupancy to under 50 percent
• There will be stringent cleaning protocols
• One person per elevator
• Six-feet between people
• Employees must have PPE and partake in daily healthcare screenings

Learn more about Phase 1 here.

PHASE 2

Phase 2 will likely begin a few weeks after Phase 1 (Mayor Bill de Blasio recently pointed to early July), but this depends on how case numbers are looking around then.

What will reopen?

• Outdoor dining will be allowed (here's the plan to make that happen safely)
• Essential and Phase 2 In-Store Retail (this does not apply to malls, which will remain closed in Phase 2)
• Salons and barbershops
• Real estate services
• Car dealerships
• Commercial building management
• Offices (though many companies will keep working remotely, office will be reopening with new safety guidelines

Related: How safe is it to socialize in the open air? We asked an epidemiologist.

Learn more about Phase 2 here.

PHASE 3

Currently there is less guidance for Phases 3 and 4, but we will update as more becomes available. Phase 3 is currently centered around the hospitality industry.

What will reopen?

• Restaurants and bars will be able to open their indoor spaces to the public, but again, things may look different, with reduced capacity and other measures (reopening this industry is a work in progress) Update, July 1st: When NYC enters Phase 3 on July 6th, indoor dining will not be allowed.
• Hotels can reopen amenities like gyms and pools.

Phase 4

Phase 4 will bring back all of those beloved cultural institutions, though again, everything will be operating a little differently than before.

What will reopen?

• Schools
• Venues
• Movie theaters
• Cultural institutions like museums
• Broadway