Bars, restaurants and gyms will be required to close in New York by 10 p.m. starting on Friday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced.
Gatherings at private homes, meanwhile, will also be limited to no more than 10 people, Cuomo said, in an effort to control the coronavirus pandemic.
The new restrictions come as cases of the virus are on the resurgence in New York and around the country.
The 10 p.m. closure time is meant to match bordering states that have previously put similar restrictions in place. Restaurants after 10 will be allowed to fulfill curbside pickup orders for food.
The positive case rate in the last day stood at 2.9%, according to the governor. There are now 1,628 people hospitalized in New York due to COVID-19 and 21 people have been confirmed to have died of COVID-19 in the last 24 hours in New York.
Cuomo left the door open to further restrictions on gatherings and public spaces if the new measures did not work.
"Losing money hurts," Cuomo said. "But money can be replaced. Losing a loved one hurts forever."
New York in recent weeks has seen an increase in COVID-19 cases in parts of Erie, Monroe and Onondaga counties as well as areas in the Southern Tier, Hudson Valley and parts of New York City.
State health officials have sought to pinpoint the infections by targeting "microcluster" cases in a neighborhood-by-neighborhood approach to limit the spread, but also prevent the hammer of closing down all businesses once again like in the spring.
The strategy has led to the creation of color-coded "zones" for areas, leading to some businesses being closed and increased testing in schools for both students and teachers.
Staten Island's cases have risen to the point where parts of the borough will now be designated a "yellow" zone leading to a focused testing on schools and limits on gatherings.
The changes come as Pfizer, Inc. this week announced a breakthrough on a potential coronavirus vaccine that has an effective rate of 90%, according to the company.
Cuomo in a conference call urged New Yorkers to continue practicing safe pandemic guidelines, but added the end was in sight.
"They say in a race run through the tape," Cuomo said. "We're in this last small lap."