Indoor dining can finally begin in NYC — with some big caveats

After months of uncertainty over the fate of New York City’s restaurants scene, eateries can finally begin seating indoors.

Indoor dining can begin Sept. 30 at 25 percent capacity, according to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. However, that comes with some big caveats.

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Temperature checks will be required at the door for all customers, one member of the diners’ group will have to provide contact information for tracing purposes and there will be no bar seating.

The city and state had been putting off an announcement over the timeline of indoor dining, and last week were hit with a $2 billion lawsuit over the delay. The mayor said Wednesday that he was hopeful to make a decision as early as this week, but he was beaten to the announcement by Cuomo.

After the governor broke the news, de Blasio released a statement saying his administration and Cuomo’s had come up with the terms together.

“Working with the state and public health officials, we’ve achieved a plan that puts health and safety first by including strict capacity limits, a close monitoring of citywide positive testing rates and a coordinated inspection regimen,” the mayor said.

He warned that if the rate of positive Covid tests in the city reach 2 percent, he would “reassess” indoor dining. The rate has been under 1 percent for more than a month. It does not appear that the mayor could end indoor dining without Cuomo’s consent.