This week is marked by a series of milestones: Monday’s landmark Supreme Court ruling—on the occasion of Pride month—that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects LGBTQ+ workers from discrimination; Thursday’s decision to uphold DACA; and today, which is the 155th anniversary of Juneteenth, the day that word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached Texas—two and a half years after the fact—to end slavery in the United States. The Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME) is proud to celebrate these important events and continue our own efforts to advance a more equitable and just society.
On Monday, June 22, New York City will enter Phase 2 of Reopening. Under the state’s
New York Forward plan, Phase 2 will include offices, retail, salons, barbershops, real estate, vehicle sales, leases and rentals, commercial building management, outdoor dining, and motion picture and video production with certain restrictions.
For help determining whether or not your business is eligible to reopen, use the reopen lookup tool on the New York State website.
Each business must develop a written Safety Plan for preventing the spread of COVID-19. Businesses may
fill out this template or develop their own Safety Plan, which must be conspicuously posted on site and made available to the New York State Department of Health or New York City health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
Information and guidelines for businesses reopening in Phase 2 are available at NYC.gov/nycbusiness.
MOTION PICTURE AND VIDEO PRODUCTION
Under New York State guidelines for Phase 2, certain aspects of pre- and post-production are authorized to resume certain operations with restrictions, as well as principal photography with a maximum of 10 people. For scouting-related activities, productions are directed to review and affirm
real estate guidance. For office-based pre- and post-production activities, productions should review and affirm
guidance for offices. For construction-related pre- and post-production activities, productions should refer to
construction guidance. (The State has yet to post guidance for principal photography; in the meantime, please refer to the
NY Forward Safety Plan template.)
On June 22, the Film Office will begin accepting permit applications for production activity commencing on July 1 or later. Activity will be limited to no more than 10 cast and crew. There will be safety-related limitations on vehicles, equipment, location, and catering, along with the safety requirements in the mandated State guidance.
Production guidelines will be posted on MOME’s website. Please do not submit permit applications until you have had an opportunity to review the guidelines.
OUTDOOR DINING
New York City’s Open Restaurants program allows qualifying restaurants and bars to expand outdoor seating on sidewalks, curb lanes, backyard, patios, plazas, and Open Streets. Restaurants and bars will be allowed to self-certify their eligibility for curb lane and sidewalk seating using a new application process at NYC.Gov, which will be available starting today. Restaurants must adhere to all local, state and federal law, including requirements relating to accessibility for people with disabilities. Customers are not permitted to gather outside of establishments.
Businesses that repeatedly fail to comply with law may have their Open Restaurant authorization revoked and referred to the State Liquor Authority (SLA).
Sidewalk seating will be in effect until the end of October. Curb lane seating will last through Labor Day.
A central Restaurant Reopening resource page is now accessible at nyc.gov/restaurantreopening.
REMINDER: Until Phase 2 reopen on Monday, New York City restaurants and bars are authorized to operate with take-out and delivery service only. MOME’s Office of Nightlife has developed
physical distancing guidelines for restaurants and bars and downloadable window posters reminding everyone to
Take Out, Don’t Hang Out when supporting local businesses.
RESOURCES FOR PHASE 2 BUSINESSES
The
NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) is offering New York business owners a
new set of resources to help them navigate the recovery and re-opening process. Small Business Advocates and Compliance Advisors will monitor a
small business hotline — 888-SBS-4NYC or 888-727-4692 — to answer questions about the latest guidelines and regulations. SBS is also hosting
Small Business Resource Fairs to provide information about requirements and guidelines to re-opening, safety plans, financial assistance, regulatory changes, employee support, licensing, inspections, and more.
The
NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers information about reopening requirements and health and safety guidelines for the workplace, including
FAQs for NYC Workers and an
update about workplace laws for employers and employees to stop the spread of COVID-19. In addition, they have set up a
Worker Protection Hotline at 311 or 1-212-436-0381 for questions about reopening or to report an employer that is not following reopening requirements.
DCWP and SBS also are working with business-serving partner organizations throughout the five boroughs to distribute
two million free face coverings citywide to small businesses and their employees. If you are a small business looking to secure free face coverings for your employees,
information is available here.
The Manufacturing and Industrial Innovation Council at SBS has launched the
NYC PPE + Reopening Supplies Marketplace. The Marketplace provides a one-stop-shop for easy-to-access suppliers of (i) face masks and coverings, (ii) face shields, (iii) gloves, (iv) cleaning and disinfectant products, (v) physical barriers and portable furniture, and (vi) other supplies needed for re-opening, It represents both local and national suppliers and manufacturers to provide a wide-range of order minimums.
As we enter this new phase of reopening, the
City urges all New Yorkers to get tested for COVID-19. There are now over 200 testing sites citywide, along with at least 10 mobile units in order to reach as many people as possible. To find the nearest testing site, visit
nyc.gov/covidtest.
In other news, we are thrilled to announce that
Norah Jones and Suzanne Vega will perform on June 22 as part of the Music for the Soul series. The program developed by MOME in partnership with NYC Health + Hospitals and AFM Local 802 features daily live performances by local NYC musicians. Check out the livestreams on the
NYC Health + Hospital’s Facebook page at noon-1pm every day through July 4.
