ALBANY, N.Y. – Wedding venues and catering halls can reopen starting March 15, but must follow extensive guidelines recently released by the New York State Department of Health.
Venues must operate at 50% capacity, with a maximum of 150 people allowed at an event.
The venue owners or operators will be responsible for the following:
- Meeting capacity restrictions.
- Notifying county health departments about in-person and catered events with more than 50 people.
- Collecting information for contact tracing by requiring people to sign in before or upon arrival at the venue.
- Requiring all attendees to have proof of a negative COVID test within three days of the event.
- Implementing mandatory health screening for employees.
- Enforcing social distancing during events.
- Ensuring people are wearing masks or face coverings unless presenting at an event or sitting to eat or drink.
- Designating points of entry and exits, as well as one-way paths on floors and stairs to prevent crowding.
- Live entertainment is permitted, but performers must be 12 feet away from people.
People can also dance, but only with members of their household or the people they are seated with at the event. The venue must designate dancing zones for each table, and make sure each zone is at least six feet apart.
Read the full guidelines here.
