New York City shuts down indoor dining as coronavirus hospitalizations rise again

New York City is starting to shut down again.

Starting Monday, indoor dining at restaurants in the city will be closed once again, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced Friday. The move wasn't unexpected, considering coronavirus hospitalizations are surging in the region and Cuomo has used that as criteria for future shutdowns.

New York City schools closed down a month ago, but indoor dining and gyms, hair salons, museums, and more, did not. The move drew widespread criticism, especially since officials said bars and restaurants had been linked to higher coronavirus positivity rates than schools. Still, the shutdowns have left thousands of restaurant and low-wage workers without jobs, with little government aid distributed to help them.

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Cuomo also introduced new criteria for New York's shutdown zones on Friday. Any area projected to hit 90 percent hospital capacity in the next 21 days would be put in a red zone, which would close nonessential businesses, schools, and indoor dining. An 85 percent capacity projection would result in an orange zone, which would shut down dining but not gyms or salons. The changes are meant to prioritize hospital beds during what is likely to be a harsh winter for coronavirus cases.

New York is slated to receive 170,000 doses of Pfizer's coronavirus vaccine and could begin vaccinating medical workers and nursing home residents and workers by Tuesday.