He said his executive order would limit restaurants, bars and cafes to takeout and delivery. Nightclubs, movie theaters, small theater houses and concert venues must all close.
“This is not a decision I make lightly,” he said. “These places are part of the heart and soul of our city. They are part of what it means to be a New Yorker. But our city is facing an unprecedented threat, and we must respond with a wartime mentality.”
In a statement earlier on Sunday, Corey Johnson, the Council speaker, had called for the closing of “all nonessential services, including bars and restaurants. We should keep essentials like grocery stores, bodegas, pharmacies, and banks open. And restaurants that can make deliveries should be able to stay open to provide delivery service.”
On Sunday afternoon, Mr. de Blasio announced a number of other measures: Ordering hospitals in the city to cancel all elective surgery, postponing an upcoming election for the Queens borough president and closing city senior centers.
In addition, Mr. Cuomo asked all nonessential state employees who work in the southern part of the state — New York City, Long Island, and Rockland and Westchester Counties — to work from home. Members of the Legislature should return to work in Albany, he said, likening them to soldiers during a war.
“The government must function,” he said.
While he continued to call for social distancing and sounded the alarm about the lack of hospital space, the governor also urged people to remain calm.
No elected officials are calling for closing off the city by shutting down mass transit or roadways.
