Hudson Yards is latest coronavirus casualty

The accelerating shutdown of New York City continued Tuesday afternoon as portions of Hudson Yards closed indefinitely to wait out the coronavirus outbreak.

The high-end mall and tourist attraction locked its doors at 5 p.m., according to developer Related Companies, which cited government directives to reduce the spread of COVID-19, the illness caused by the novel coronavirus.

One eatery at the West Side campus will remain open: Spanish Diner at Mercado Little Spain, which will serve a limited takeout menu from noon to 5 p.m. daily. All restaurants and bars in the city were limited to takeout service effective Monday night by the state.

The Spanish Diner will operate as a “community kitchen,” according to a press release from Related and Oxford Properties, the developers of Hudson Yards, with reduced pricing that is flexible for people who cannot afford it. All the other Hudson Yards shops and restaurants are closed.

The Vessel, a popular tourist attraction at the development, also closed at 5 p.m. Tuesday. Edge, the newly opened observation deck at Hudson Yards, has been closed since Friday. The Shed, an arts center where the High Line meets Hudson Yards, is also closed.

The decision to close the retail portion of the nation’s largest private development came as the de Blasio administration announced it would decide within the next 48 hours whether to order a “shelter in place” policy, which would only permit New Yorkers to venture out for essential actions.