NYC restaurants should defy COVID-19 indoor dining pause and 'pick 1 day' to open, Staten Island artist says

Conservative Staten Island artist Scott LoBaido is calling on Staten Island restaurant owners to protest New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s indoor dining pause by collectively picking one day to remain open for indoor dining.

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LoBaido, who announced earlier this year that he is planning a mayoral run in New York City, made the comments during a rally outside Mac's Public House on Sunday. On Monday, restaurants would be limited to takeout and delivery service only, in an effort to stem the surge in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations, according to Cuomo's latest order.

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"Open it up, figure it out, get together with each other, pick one day, and everybody do it together," he said. "They can’t shut everybody down. "

LoBaido claims the move to shut down indoor dining is unfair and illegal. He cited data that was released by New York State on Friday showing how restaurants and bars have accounted for less than 1.5% of COVID-19 cases over the last three months, far less than household gatherings did. According to the data, household gatherings are driving the spread, accounting for about 74% of cases.

LoBaido wasn't the only one to draw attention to these statistics. Likewise, the NYC Hospitality Alliance, an industry group, also argued indoor restaurant dining has been linked to just a tiny fraction of new cases.

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However, Cuomo had made it clear that if hospitalization rates didn't stabilize in the area after five days, then indoor dining would be closed entirely. If rates don't improve in other areas of the state, indoor dining would be reduced to 25% capacity, Cuomo said.

Cuomo announced that hospitalizations have not stabilized and that indoor dining posed too high a risk. The governor also said that the situation is likely to worsen during the holiday season before it gets better.

"We are laser-focused on ensuring the increase in cases we are seeing does not overwhelm our hospital system and we are putting in place redundancies to shore them up," he said. "Ultimately, it's up to each of us to slow the spread of this virus until there is widespread access to a vaccine: wear a mask, socially distance, wash your hands and stay vigilant."

Cuomo also noted that Staten Island represents 25% of the COVID-19 deaths in New York City.

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"These are not just statistics," Cuomo tweeted. "We’ve lost mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, neighbors. Fighting COVID shouldn’t be political. We must come together to save lives."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also outlined that on-site dining, even with reduced indoor seating capacity, is a higher risk activity.

However, LoBaido doesn't just want New York restaurant operators to follow this action. LoBaido told FOX Busines in a statement Monday that he also wants owners in California and Michigan to collectively reopen their dining rooms. Both states, alongside New York, have also recently put a temporary pause on indoor dining.

"Support each other," LoBaido said. "Stand up for your rights because once you forfeit your liberty you can never get it back."