Cuomo: New York ending COVID-19 state disaster emergency on Thursday

Cuomo made the announcement as he unveiled new renderings for an essential workers monument in New York City.

It came just hours before Oneida County announced that it reported no new COVID-19 cases in its daily update for the first time since September.

Guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will remain in effect. It includes the wearing of masks for unvaccinated individuals; along with all riders on public transit and in certain settings, such as health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters.

State and local government health departments will still be able to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings, per Cuomo’s office.

Since March 2020, a number of actions had been taken by executive order to help in the response to the pandemic by state agencies, local governments, hospitals, and businesses “by both temporarily suspending or modifying laws as well as utilizing temporary directives,” Cuomo’s office said.

Hospitals were able to add space and staffing; meetings were authorized to occur virtually; and various deadlines were extended to accommodate a “changed landscape.”

“New York went from one of the worst infection rates to the lowest infection rate in the country, and it was all because of the efforts of New Yorkers who were smart, united and did what they needed to do throughout this entire pandemic,” Cuomo said. “Now we’re starting to write a new chapter for a post-COVID New York–the state disaster emergency is ending and we can focus on reimaging, rebuilding and renewing our state. This doesn’t mean COVID is gone, we still have to get more New Yorkers vaccinated, but we are getting back on track and starting to live life once again.”