Coronavirus in New York
This page contains up to date information about the coronavirus in New York, also known as COVID-19. Currently there is a travel ban to New York from European countries (Friday 13th of March 2020 at midnight). This travel ban would initially end on Sunday 12th of April 2020, but it is extended with no end date announced.
Eric's Index
Current status COVID-19 in New York (last updated on: August 3rd 2020)
New York City has been on a lockdown for over two months. On June 8th the city started to reopen. Currently the final phase of this process, phase 4, is reached, which includes some tourist attractions like the Empire State Building and the outdoor areas of Liberty Island. They reopen with limited capacity. Indoor dining is still not allowed, but outside dining is.
Large event spaces like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall will still not be hosting events in the upcoming months. All Broadway shows are suspended and events like parades will be suspended or cancelled. Some sports competitions are restarting but they’ll take place in empty stadiums without an audience.
Also smaller venues, movie theatres and nightclubs are still closed, but indoor gatherings of up to 25 people are permitted. Everyone is required to maintain a 6-foot distance from others in public and should wear a face mask covering when going out in public.
- Major attractions:
- Central Park open
- Governors Island open
- Grand Central Station open
- Bike rentals and tours open
- High Line Park open, timed-entry pass required
- Empire State Building open
- Circle Line Cruises open
- 9/11 Memorial open
- Statue of Liberty outside areas open
- Zoos open
- Top of the Rock reopening 6th of August, will be open daily from 13:00 to 21:00
- Ellis Island closed
- One World Observatory closed
- The Vessel closed
- Edge Observation Deck closed
- Shopping
- Macy’s open
- Woodbury Common open
- Empire Outlets open
- Hop on Hop off Buses
- Big Bus running the Uptown and Downtown routes as a continuous circuit
- Major museums
- The Met: reopening 29th of August
- American Museum of Natural History: reopening 9th of September
- Other museums: closed
- Sports
- NBA (New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets) continued without audience
- MLB (New York Yankees, New York Mets) continued without audience
- NHL (New York Rangers) suspended until 1st of August
- New York Marathon: cancelled
- Broadway musicals and other performances:
- Broadway: suspended until 3rd of January 2021
- New York City Ballet: fall season and The Nutcracker cancelled
- Public transportation: back to regular schedule
- Subway: closed between 1:00 and 5:00 for cleaning
- Boroughs and neighbourhoods: accessible
- Several streets open to pedestrians (car free)
If you are traveling during the travel ban period and your trip has been canceled due to the coronavirus travel ban, you must rebook your flight and hotel. If you have booked discount passes, shows or tours, you can contact the provider for their cancellation policy.
If you’re planning to book a trip to New York but are unsure if the trip can actually take place because of COVID-19, I recommend that you include some securities. For example, when purchasing the discount passes Sightseeing Flex and Sightseeing Day Pass, you can add a cancellation insurance for a small percentage of the order amount. You can then cancel the passes free of charge. When purchasing Broadway tickets through my site you can opt for flex tickets. This allows you to cancel or rebook free of charge up to ten days before the show. To avoid public transport you can take a taxi service from and to JFK, Newark and LGA airport. Reserve your transfer to New York in advance, to make sure that your preferred transfer is booked. For the most up-to-date information about your flights to and from New York, it is best to contact your airline.
The current situation can also provide unexpected benefits. For those who dare to take a gamble, there are now cheapest New York deals available.
If you are in New York and you have questions about the coronavirus, call 311 from a landline. This is the general information number for the city of New York. Do you feel sick or are you worried about certain symptoms? Then contact a local doctor. Your hotel can help you with this.
