NYC to Welcome Back Indoor Dining With Phase 3 Reopening Slated to Start on July 6

New York City is continuing on its trajectory to reopen and is "on track" to start Phase 3 of its plan on July 6, Mayor Bill de Blasio confirmed on Wednesday.

"The data is telling us 'yes' right now," he said during his daily press conference, referring to the decrease in hospitalizations and positive cases in the city, which was once the epicenter of the coronavirus in the United States." That's exciting, that we keep making progress."

Data on New York state's official website shows a gradual decline in positive cases in the city, hovering around a one percent positivity rate.

However, de Blasio cautioned that since there is "a ways to go" between now and the proposed date, the city will continue to monitor the situation as well as work with the state to make a final decision.

When Phase 3 does happen, outdoor recreational activities like basketball, tennis, soccer, and volleyball will be fair game. Dog runs will also be reopened.

While hair salons are already back in business, nail salons, spas, and tattoo studios will now be able to open their doors.

The newest tier to reopening also allows indoor dining to resume following last week's welcome back to restaurant-goers who enjoyed dining outside. Groups of 25 people indoors will be permitted.

He also announced this week that the city's eight public beaches will open for swimming on July 1.

The rest of New York state, already in Phase 3, has been enjoying the gradual re-entry back to real life while northern regions including the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, North Country, and Central New York will enter Phase 4 on Friday. Malls, gyms, and movie theaters will remain closed.

The news comes a day after governors from New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut agreed that travelers coming from states considered "hot spots," when it comes to the rate of COVID-19 infections, would be subject to a two-week quarantine.