NYC closes marriage bureau amid coronavirus

The New York City marriage bureau is closed amid citywide shutdowns over the coronavirus. Couples looking to get marriage licenses in New York City will have to wait “until further notice,” according to the city clerk.

“Please be advised that effective March 20, 2020 all of the offices of the City Clerk – NYC Marriage Bureau will be closed until further notice,” the city clerk tweeted. “We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you.”

Please be advised that effective March 20, 2020 all of the offices of the City Clerk – NYC Marriage Bureau will be closed until further notice. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause you. @nyc311

— NYC City Clerk (@NYCClerk) March 20, 2020

New York City shut down restaurants, bars and public schools this week in an attempt to halt the spread of the coronavirus. On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) ordered all “nonessential” workers to stay home.

“Obviously it’s painful because it’s such an important moment in people’s lives, but we’re also dealing with a crisis that we’ve never seen before,” Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) told the Brian Lehrer Show on Friday morning when asked about the marriage bureau closure.

The bureau reported an “uptick” of wedding officiant requests earlier in the week, as the city began to implement restrictions, according to The New York Times. Couples were reportedly rushing ceremonies out of fear the bureau might close.

The Manhattan office performed 104 ceremonies on Monday and 72 ceremonies on Tuesday, the Times reported.

The New York Daily News said the City Clerk’s Office performed 406 wedding ceremonies at its Manhattan location and 878 total citywide in the week before the shutdown, more than that same week last year.

The pandemic is causing many couples to cancel weddings, due to nationwide restrictions on large gatherings. The U.S. has more than 14,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel virus.