#De Blasio warns crowding in Astoria won’t be tolerated, shuts down eatery

Mayor Bill de Blasio warned Monday that the droves of largely maskless revelers repeatedly packing streets outside of Astoria bars and restaurants won’t be tolerated.

“We saw some real troubling overcrowding in Astoria this weekend — we will not tolerate it,” de Blasio told reporters during his daily City Hall press briefing.

Hizzoner added, “It’s not widespread, but where we find it, it has to be stopped.”

The crackdown comes after days of criticism from Gov. Andrew Cuomo that local authorities — especially in New York City — aren’t doing enough to enforce social distancing rules.

Over the weekend, throngs of people packed a stretch of Astoria’s Steinway Street and flouted coronavirus social distancing rules as they partied.

Officials slapped on eatery at the center of the action, BRIK Astoria, with an order that shuts down its outdoor dining program for a week as punishment.

“There’s one restaurant in Astoria that’s been the focal point for this overcrowding. They’ve been shut down,” de Blasio confirmed Monday, without mentioning the restaurant by name.

And Hizzoner warned that more eateries and watering holes will face consequences if the crowds continue.

“There’ll be heavier enforcement efforts by the Sheriff’s Office and – when needed – by the NYPD, as well, around bars and restaurants,” he added.

“We don’t want to shut down restaurants, we don’t want to shut down bars, but if we have to shut down a few of those, it’s a hell of a lot better than seeing the coronavirus start to surge again.”

De Blasio noted that even though the latest science shows that outdoors is safer than indoors when it comes to the spread of coronavirus, it doesn’t mean people should violate social distancing rules.

“Outdoors doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t forget all the tough lessons that we’ve learned,” the mayor said. “Overwhelmingly, around the city, folks who own restaurants, bars and customers have been responsible, have been smart, have remembered to follow the rules. But not everywhere. ”

Area residents and local elected officials have said that the block party-like scenes in Astoria have been going on for weeks, but the city only recently started to crack down on the matter.

De Blasio admitted Monday he wasn’t immediately aware of those complaints, some of which were made by the neighborhood Councilman Costa Constantinides (D-Queens).

“This particular problem in Astoria obviously has grown and it particularly occurred very late at night and I think that’s what was under-recognized,” de Blasio said. “There was activity early in the evenings, but did not recognize that it was so late at night when some of these problems were occurring.”

Shortly before de Blasio spoke, Cuomo continued his criticism of the Big Apple’s low key compliance enforcement and denounced the crowding outside of eateries across the city and state during his own press briefing at JFK Airport.

“It is a problem in New York City. It’s a problem in places on Long Island. It’s a problem in places upstate,” Cuomo said, adding, “You know very well where the congregations were because God bless social media.”

“We’ve had a high frequency in New York City and it’s not a question — you had police in Astoria,” Cuomo said, referring to this past weekend. “They showed up, but it’s not just showing up and watching. The crowd has to be dispersed. It’s violating the law. Period.”

Cuomo called the hordes of young people that have been seen congregating “stupid.”

“It is stupid what you’re doing,” he said. “Don’t be stupid — what they’re doing is stupid and reckless for themselves and for other people.”

The governor has repeatedly said that local governments must enforce compliance.

“The police department has to enforce the law and they are not doing it,” Cuomo said.

Cuomo then warned, “We’re gonna’ have to roll back the reopening plan and we’re gonna’ have to close restaurants and bars — that’s what we’re going to have to do.”