New York to no longer require quarantines for fully vaccinated, following new CDC guidance

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York State on Thursday announced that it will adopt the CDC’s new guidance, relaxing the quarantine requirements on people who have been fully vaccinated.

The CDC on Wednesday said asymptomatic individuals who have received both shots of one of the two currently approved vaccines, and have had at least two weeks pass since the second injection, no longer must quarantine if they come into contact with a COVID-positive person. That’s as long as no more than 90 days has passed since the second shot.

“From the outset of the pandemic, New York State has followed the science and listened to the experts, and quarantine requirements only for New Yorkers who have received both shots will be similarly updated to reflect the CDC’s new guidance,” Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said in a statement. “However, the science regarding COVID transmissibility post-vaccination remains unsettled, and this updated guidance is not an all-clear for New Yorkers to let their guard down.”

 Cuomo and Zucker added that all residents, including those fully vaccinated, should continue to wear masks and socially distance until enough people have been vaccinated to reach herd immunity.

New York State’s vaccination program has put nearly 1.8 million first doses of vaccine into arms and 660,000 second doses, for a total of 2.45 million doses, as of 11 a.m. Thursday. Regionally, nearly 129,000 total doses had been administered in Central New York, about 84,000 each in the Southern Tier and North Country, and nearly 63,000 in the Mohawk Valley, according to state data.