New York, New Jersey, Washington closing bars, restaurants, night clubs indefinitely as US begins to shutdown

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday ordered licensed nightclubs to shut down operations, and all eating and drinking establishments to eliminate bar seating while the city works to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

In New York, New Jersey and Connecticut the trip-state government agreed to close bars, restaurants and other businesses and impose curfews that begin at 8 p.m. daily, a sweeping and so-far unprecedented regional effort to enforce social distancing as new coronavirus cases jump across the nation.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday morning that all gyms, movie theaters and casinos will also close indefinitely starting at 8 p.m. Monday.

Bars and restaurants will only be available for takeout services. Gatherings of more than 50 people are banned. “This is a do-the-right-thing situation,”  Andrew Cuomo said.