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Governor Cuomo Announces COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted
as 70% of Adult New Yorkers Have Received First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
Published: June 15, 2021 at 04:30 p.m.
By: Press Release from Governor Cuomo’s Office
Governor Cuomo
Announces COVID-19 Restrictions Lifted as 70% of Adult New Yorkers Have
Received First Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine
State's COVID-19
Restrictions and New York Forward Industry Guidance Lifted Across
Commercial Settings, including Retail, Food Services, Offices, Gyms
and Fitness Centers, Amusement and Family Entertainment, Hair Salons,
Barber Shops, Personal Care Services, Among Others
Unvaccinated
Individuals Responsible for Continuing to Wear a Mask, Per Federal CDC
Guidance
Large-Scale
Indoor Events Venues, Pre-K to 12 Schools, Public Transit, Homeless
Shelters, Correctional Facilities, Nursing Homes and Health Care
Settings Must Still Adhere to Existing COVID-19 Health Protocols Per CDC
Guidelines
Governor Andrew
M. Cuomo today announced that COVID-19 restrictions are lifted immediately
as 70 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received the first dose
of their COVID-19 vaccination series. The State's health guidance
and New York Forward industry specific guidelines—including
social gathering limits, capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning
and disinfection, health screening, and contact information for tracing—are
now optional for retail, food services, offices, gyms and fitness centers,
amusement and family entertainment, hair salons, barber shops and personal
care services, among other commercial settings.
Unvaccinated
individuals continue to be responsible for wearing masks, in accordance
with federal CDC guidance.
Consistent with the State's implementation of
the recent CDC guidance, masks are still required for unvaccinated
individuals. Further, the State's health guidelines continue to be in
effect for large-scale indoor event venues, pre-K to grade 12 schools,
public transit, homeless shelters, correctional
facilities, nursing homes, and health care settings per CDC
guidelines.
"What New
York has done is extraordinary. Not only do we have the lowest COVID
positivity rate in the United States of America, we have
hit 70 percent vaccination ahead of schedule. We successfully deployed the
weapon that will win the war, and New York led the nation," Governor
Cuomo said. "We led with nurse Sandra Lindsay, who was the first
at Northwell to take that vaccine and to assure people it was safe. We've gone on to do more than 20 million vaccines, more
per capita than any big state in the United States of
America. Congratulations to New Yorkers because they are the ones
who did it. We're no longer just surviving—we're
thriving. The state mandates that have proven right and brought us through
this pandemic are relaxed as of today, effective immediately."
White House
COVID-19 Response Coordinator Jeffrey D. Zients said, "In
communities across New York, the deadly Coronavirus is in retreat thanks to
the state's progress on vaccinations. New York went from being one of the
hardest-hit states in the country to being one of the leading states in its
effort to combat the virus because of a vaccination program that made
it easy and convenient for New Yorkers to get vaccinated, state and
community leaders who worked hard at the local level, and millions of New
Yorkers who rolled up their sleeves to get vaccinated."
The State's COVID
restrictions remain in effect for large-scale indoor event venues—now
defined as indoor venues that hold more than 5,000 attendees. Consistent
with the State's implementation of
the CDC guidelines, proof of vaccination can be used to eliminate social
distancing and remove masks for fully vaccinated
individuals. Unvaccinated or unknown vaccination status individuals
who are over the age of four must continue to present proof of a recent
negative diagnostic COVID-19 test result and wear masks within the venue.
However, social distancing can be reduced or eliminated between tested
attendees, allowing venues to reach 100 percent capacity in all sections.
As of today, over
70 percent of adult New Yorkers have received at least the first dose of
the COVID-19 vaccine and the rate of new COVID-19 cases has plummeted to
the lowest levels in the nation. Given New York's progress and the
diminished risk of COVID-19 within the community, the State is lifting
COVID-19 restrictions effective immediately, except for the mask
requirement for unvaccinated individuals and in certain settings
(e.g., large-scale indoor event venues, pre-K to grade 12 schools, public
transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities,
nursing homes and health care settings per CDC
guidance). While New York Forward industry
reopening guidance is no longer mandatory for most industries, these
documents will be archived and made available as a public reference.
With the removal
of the State's minimum standard for reopening, businesses are free to
choose to lift all or some restrictions, continue to adhere to the State's
archived guidance, or implement other health precautions for their
employees and patrons. Businesses are also authorized to require masks and
six feet of social distancing for employees and patrons within their
establishments, regardless of vaccination status. Any mask requirements
that businesses choose to implement must adhere to applicable federal and
state laws and regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act.
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