MOST OPENING AT 50 PERCENT

Slowly, Restaurants

Open On Main Street

By LIBBY CUDMORE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – Finally, it’s time to dine.

During his press conference on Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the Mohawk Valley, which includes Otsego County, was one of five regions that could move to indoor dining with 50 percent capacity as part of Phase Three of NY Forward.

“Phase three allows indoor restaurant and food services and personal care services to resume,” he said. “Each industry is subject to specific state guidelines to maximize safety and social distancing.”

“People are happy to be able to sit down inside,” said Mackenzie Vissell, assistant manager at the Latte Lounge in Oneonta. “We can seat about 30 now, but we’ve been pretty steady since we opened this morning.”

In Oneonta, restaurants including the bar side of Wise Guy’s Sammys and Nina’s Restaurant and Pizzeria were opening for dine-in service today.

All restaurants had to complete a safety plan that would detail how they would apply and enforce the guidelines, which include all employees and customers wearing face masks, a maximum of 10 people per table, using disposable menus and pre-rolled silverware whenever possible, and frequent cleaning if not possible.

Last week, Cuomo announced that restaurants could offer outdoor dining, with masks and proper social distancing.

In addition to dining, personal care businesses –  including tattoo and piercing facilities,  massage therapy, nail and tanning salons and spas – were also allowed to reopen with guidelines in place. However, any procedure that required the removal of a mask was prohibited.