Reopen NY: 105 NYC, Long Island bars cited for distancing violations

NEW YORK (WABC) -- More than 100 bars and restaurants in the New York City area were flagged for coronavirus social distancing violations this weekend, and some now face the possible suspension of their liquor licenses, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday.

The violations, for issues such as people crowding outside and workers not wearing masks, were handed out by a new state police and liquor authority enforcement task force inspecting establishments in the city and on Long Island, Cuomo said.

The state's liquor authority board will meet Monday to review the 105 violations and decide on the possible suspension of some licenses. Last week, the board yanked 10 licenses for social distancing violations.

Josh Einiger has more on the establishments violating the state's bar and restaurant rules.

Speaking to reporters on a conference call, Cuomo said the state tallied three deaths from coronavirus on Saturday while hospitalizations for the disease fell to 637, the lowest total since mid-March.

The number of new coronavirus cases in the state also remained low. Of 53,568 tests performed Saturday, just 536 - or about 1% - returned a positive result, Cuomo said.

The governor, a Democrat, chastised newspaper editorial writers who've urged the state to hasten the reopening of businesses and other aspects of normal society, saying the deliberate measures he's implemented have worked to quell the virus while other states continue to see massive spikes.

Residents from 31 states, including Texas and Florida, must quarantine for 14 days when arriving in New York because those states have a seven-day rolling average of positive tests exceeding 10% or positive case totals exceeding 10 per 100,000 residents.

"Don't get cocky don't get arrogant," Cuomo warned New Yorkers. "There are still threats that are out there. You still have the national threat, and then you have the compliance challenge."

On Friday, the governor said the New York State Police and the State Liquor Authority issued summonses to 37 downstate establishments that allegedly violated the state's bar and restaurant rules.

Cuomo had called the violations "a very high rate of suspension."

Candace McCowan has more from Astoria on the bars' shutdown.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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