New York was the epicenter of the outbreak in the US. The situation has improved, but we aren't out of the woods yet, so I think it's correct to be cautious.

My impression from walking around outside is that everyone has optimized for malicious compliance with the rules that do exist, and we don't really appear to be taking the threat seriously anymore. Everyone has gotten masks with exhaust vents, so they can comply with the mask regulations without actually protecting anyone from their disease. Restaurants, stores, and parks are packed. People are basically done caring, and since they won't take steps to slow the spread of the disease themselves, some regulation is required to prevent super-spreading incidents. (Regarding the food rule, I think the idea is simply to reduce the number of people that can dine at a certain place per day. If someone that works there is sick, that limits the number of people they infect.)