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Long Island Aids Restaurants, Businesses In Anticipation Of Reopening

Mary Altaffer
/
AP
An employee disinfects an outdoor table in preparation for the opening of outdoor dining last week in Stamford, Conn. Long Island restaurants are still waiting to reopen.

Long Island officials are helping restaurants and small businesses recover from the economic shutdown.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone will issue an order to allow restaurants to increase outdoor seating.

Bellone says he’s eager to open outdoor dining, and is confident that restaurants will be able to adapt to new safety measures.   

“Businesses and entrepreneurs, what they do for a living is adapt and adjust quickly to changing circumstances. They understand how to do this. The importance of doing this safely.” 

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran announced similar plans for restaurants and small businesses. 

The Open Streets Pilot Program will allow municipalities to apply to close off county roads to create more space for social distancing, outdoor dining and shopping. 

Curran says it’s important to prepare now. 

“The extra capacity of sidewalk and street seating could make the difference for survival for restaurants and businesses, and could help them start making profit once we get the green light to do so.” 

The program will also provide 1,000 businesses in Nassau County with personal protective equipment to help keep employees and customers safe. 

Restaurants will be allowed to open in New York in phase three of the state’s reopening plan.

Bellone says that could come sooner if the number of COVID-19 cases continue their downward trend in the county. 

Read the latest on WSHU’s coronavirus coverage here.

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