Albany, N.Y. — Weddings and parties at event venues can return in New York starting March 15 and the rules are out for a critical component of those celebrations.
Dancing.
Here’s what you need to know:
- You can only dance with members of your immediate party, household or family who are seated at your table at the event.
- You get a dance zone: The state wants clearly marked areas assigned to each dance group that are spaced at least 6 feet apart from other dance zones.
- Ideally, the zones should not be less than 36 square feet.
- You have to wear a mask while you dance.
- You cannot visit neighboring zones.
- For ceremonial dances, like a couple’s first dance at a wedding, select attendees can participate, as long as they are designated to event venues in advance. Those dances are also limited to members of the same party, household or family and dancers must stay 6 feet apart from other attendees during the dance.
- Live bands are allowed, but if they are unmasked or playing a wind instrument, they must be separated from attendees by 12 feet or a physical barrier.
Cuomo first announced the decision to allow weddings and other parties to return in January. Events are limited to 50% of an event venue’s maximum capacity, up to 150 people.
Attendees must be tested for Covid-19 in advance.
Families were forced to cancel or postpone big events like weddings and other celebrations after the pandemic took hold last March.
The new guidance on parties includes a host of other requirements on masks, how to run cocktail receptions and more. The rules apply to meetings and conferences too.
You can read all the guidelines online.
Cuomo has been speaking for weeks about his desire to use a combination of testing and rules to reopen more of New York’s economy. It was a major theme of his State of the State address last month.
In addition to weddings and parties, Cuomo announced earlier this month that live sports, music and other events can return at large stadiums and arenas in the state.
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