New York State will end most of its Covid-19 restrictions once 70% of the state’s population has had at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine.
The state’s governor, Andrew Cuomo, announced that many of the restrictions and guidelines such as capacity restrictions and social distancing will become optional for shops, restaurants, offices, fitness centers, entertainment venues, and hair salons and barber shops, among others.
Non-vaccinated individuals will still be required to don face masks in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They will also be required to maintain proper social distance from others.
At 0.51%, the state’s positivity rate is the lowest since the start of the pandemic. As of Monday, 68.6% of adults in the state have been vaccinated, which means that a 1.4 percentage increase is required for the new policies to kick in.
Governor Cuomo praised New Yorkers for helping to eradicate the virus in the state.
“The lifting of our COVID restrictions is a sign of how hard New Yorkers have worked to contain the spread of the virus and protect their communities,” he said. “With numbers trending at record lows, it is clear that the vaccine is effective and that it is an invaluable tool against the virus.”
The governor also urged residents in the state who have not yet been inoculated against Covid to do so.
“While we have come so far it is still imperative that those who have not received the vaccine do so, so that they may enjoy the state’s reimagined reopening to the fullest extent possible,” he said.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
