New York will end its curfew for bars and restaurants in May

• New York will lift its midnight curfew on bars and restaurants next month.
• The curfew will first be lifted on May 17 for outdoor eating and drinking.
• It will be lifted for indoor restaurants and bars on May 31, Cuomo said.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday that the mandatory midnight closing time for bars and restaurants in the state will be lifted next month.

Cuomo, who ordered the curfews last year to curb the spread of COVID-19, said Wednesday the curfew for outdoor restaurants and bars will end on May 17. The curfew will end for indoor bars and restaurants on May 31. The curfew on catered events will also be lifted at the end of May.

Seating in bars in New York City will resume on May 3, the governor's office announced.

Cuomo's announcement came as the New York State legislature is slated to roll back Cuomo's requirement that patrons of bars and restaurants order a food item if they are ordering an alcoholic beverage. That rule has been in place since July last year, The New York Times noted.