Governor Cuomo issues executive order allowing gatherings of up to 10 people in NYC, after he was sued by civil liberties group for only letting religious services and Memorial Day celebrations convene (9 Pics)

New Yorkers will be able to convene in groups of 10 following a lawsuit against a Gov. Andrew Cuomo's order only allowing Memorial Day celebrations and religious services to have that number. 

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) announced on Friday that the governor reversed his Thursday order after they filed a lawsuit on behalf of Linda Bouferguen, a New York City woman who had been arrested twice outside of City Hall for protesting the state shutdown.

'We're glad to see the governor reverse course on his executive order from last night. The right to protest and exercise free speech is the foundation of all our other liberties, and during a crisis is exactly when we need to be most vigilant about protecting it,' Legal Director and lead attorney on the case, Christopher Dunn, said in a statement.

The New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) announced on Friday that Gov. Andrew Cuomo reversed his Thursday order after they filed a lawsuit

Groups of 10 people or less will be able to have socially-distance gatherings

'Health experts, elected officials, and police officers all agree that people can be outside safely while practicing social distancing, and it's critical that lawmakers create guidelines and direct law enforcement uniformly.' 

'New Yorkers have met this crisis with solidarity and resilience, and placed immense trust in the government to exercise its authority and keep them safe. To maintain that trust, the government must take that responsibility seriously and treat all New Yorkers equally as we look to the months ahead.'    

On Tuesday, the governor announced he would allow gatherings commemorating Memorial Day. The following day, he announced he would make an exception for religious services and ceremonies. Those were issued in an order on Thursday. 

'We're glad to see the governor reverse course on his executive order from last night. The right to protest and exercise free speech is the foundation of all our other liberties, and during a crisis is exactly when we need to be most vigilant about protecting it,' Legal Director and lead attorney on the case, Christopher Dunn, said in a statement

Groups of people were spotted, not socially distancing with face masks pulled down as they gathered for drinks outside New York City's Elio's restaurant on Friday

Groups of 10 were seen hanging out in front of the Gray Mare in New York City on Friday 

People were seen failing to practice social distance while outside Elio's on Friday afternoon 

People were seen gathering and drinking outside NYC's Handcraft Kitchen & Cocktails Friday

People were seen gathering in groups of more than 10 outside Gray Mare as night fell Friday

New York City remains closed and will do until at least June, per the mayor, despite Long Island and mid-Hudson, the two regions surrounding it, reopening next week.  

Neither mid-Hudson nor Long Island has met the requirement of a 14-day decline in coronavirus deaths yet, but on Friday, Gov. Cuomo said he expected both regions would by next week which will allow them to open. 

New York City met that target, and others, weeks ago but it has to stay closed until June at least, according to the mayor, for increasingly inexplicable reasons.  

Per Cuomo's requirements, the city needs to keep 30 percent of its ICU beds and 30 percent of its hospital beds free. 

The city is just two percent off ICU target and three percent off its hospital bed capacity. 

There are 21,000 beds across New York City's hospital beds. 

NYC remains the only region of New York that has not yet been allowed to reopen despite consistently falling coronavirus numbers