'Our city is facing an unprecedented threat': New York bars, restaurants and other businesses to close over coronavirus pandemic

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New York City will limit all restaurants and bars to deliveries and order entertainment venues closed in an attempt to combat the spread of the coronavirus.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the "drastic step" on Sunday evening in order to "save the lives of loved ones and our neighbours."

"Tomorrow, I will sign an executive order limiting restaurants, bars and cafes to food take-out and delivery. Nightclubs, movie theatres small theatre houses, and concern venues must all close. The order will go into effect Tuesday, March 17 at 9:00AM," he said in a statement.

The measure, which comes amid a rapid rise in the number of infections, is likely to transform one of the busiest and most recognisable cities in the world overnight.

"Our lives are changing in ways that were unimaginable just a week ago. We are taking a series of actions that we never would have taken otherwise in an effort to save the lives of loved ones and our neighbours. Now it is time to take another drastic step. The virus can spread rapidly through the close interactions New Yorkers have in restaurants, bars and places where we sit close together. We have to break that cycle," the mayor said.

The statement continued: "These places are part of the heart of and soul of our city. They are part of what it means to be a New Yorker. But our city is facing an unprecedented threat, and we must respond with a wartime mentality."

The announcement came just hours after the mayor announced the closure of New York's public schools. The school system is the largest in the country, serving 1.1 million students. The mayor said the plan was to reopen schools again on April 20, but that they may remain closed for the rest of the school year.

The number of confirmed cases of infection in the city stood at 329 on Sunday, and nearly double that across New York state. Five people are known to have died so far.

Despite pleas for residents to self-isolate in order to slow the spread of the virus, bars and restaurants remained packed full of people over the weekend.