Bars and restaurants in New York City will be allowed to offer a takeaway alcohol service to help businesses.
The city that never sleeps is currently on lockdown in an effort to combat coronavirus, which has seen all bars, restaurants and theatres closed in the area.
The restrictions were introduced on Monday by New York governor Andrew Cuomo, but restaurants, bars, wineries and distilleries will be allowed to sell alcohol in a takeaway format.
Cuomo told American news magazine Newsweek : "Whatever you could order in the bar or restaurant or distillery or winery you can purchase through takeout, and we hope that goes a long way towards alleviating any economic hardship.
"We will only allow it during this period of closure, but I think it will help those businesses."
The service is expected to come into effect on Tuesday morning.
Eerie pictures taken over the weekend show how New York City has turned into a virtual ghost town since the lockdown.
Aerial photos show empty streets on Manhattan, an area that is usually gridlocked with thousands of cars and the famous yellow taxis.
The New York Public Library is one of many popular places to have closed, with pictures showing people walking past the empty building on Fifth Avenue.
And it looks set to get even quieter in the area as schools are to shut until at least the middle of April.
As of Sunday evening, there were 729 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the New York state, with 329 in the city itself. Three people have died.
Mayor Bill de Blasio ordered the closures in the city to slow the spread of the virus.
According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurants account for more than $51 billion in annual revenue and have more than 800,000 employees.
Several businesses closed up shop shortly afterward.
More than 1.1 million children are expected to stay at home in the city from Monday as the US's largest public system closes.
Mr de Blasio announced the decision to close schools through at least April 20 - and possibly for the school year - as similar closures occurred in communities and entire states nationwide and pressure mounted from New York residents, city council members and others.
"I have no words for how horrible it is, but it has become necessary," he said.
