You can't go out to eat in New York City anymore

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) announced Sunday that he is signing an executive order banning eating out in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak. All restaurants, bars, and cafes in the city will be restricted to take-out and delivery only, effective Tuesday. The mayor also ordered all nightclubs, movie theaters, small theaters, and concert venues in America's most populous city to close.

The decision is one of the most extensive measures yet undertaken by any city in the United States in response to the outbreak. Earlier Sunday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) ordered all restaurants and bars in the state to close until the end of March, with an exception for takeout and deliveries, with Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D), Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R), and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) following suit.

There are more than 26,000 restaurants in New York City. Los Angeles, which has the most restaurants of any U.S. city with over 29,000, will also see its establishments directed to close, its mayor, Eric Garcetti, confirmed following a local shutdown of bars on Sunday.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Continuing the weekend tradition of packing the bars is selfish and reckless during this pandemic," wrote Charlie Warzel for The New York Times on Saturday. "It will speed up the spread of the virus, increasing the suffering for older and more vulnerable people and for the medical workers who will be caring for them." Experts have urged Americans to follow social distancing guidelines in order to flatten the curve of the disease.