State to lift most remaining COVID-19 restrictions when 70 percent of adult New Yorkers receive first dose of vaccine

NEW YORK, N.Y. — The state plans to lift most of the remaining COVID-19 restrictions once 70 percent of New Yorkers aged 18 or older have received at least the first dose of their COVID-19 vaccination series. And that benchmark is not far away.

“When we hit 70 percent, then I feel comfortable saying to the people of this state we can relax virtually all restrictions. We’re at 68.6 [percent now], almost there, but this isn’t horseshoes. We want to be at 70 percent. 1.4 percent to go, and then we can lift the capacity restriction, social distancing, the hygiene protocols, the health screenings, the potential tracing,” Cuomo said in a press briefing in New York City on Monday. “Masks will only be required as recommended by the CDC. There’ll be still will be some institutional guidelines. Large venues, schools, public transportation, hospitals, nursing homes. But we hit 70 percent we will be back to life as normal, or as normalized as you can be post-COVID.”

The state’s “New York Forward” industry-specific guidelines will become 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,” the governor’s office said.

Those guidelines include capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screening, and contact information for tracing.

Large-scale event venues, Pre-K to 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health-care settings must continue to follow the state’s guidelines until more New Yorkers are vaccinated.

People who aren’t yet vaccinated will still be responsible for maintaining proper social distancing of six feet and wearing a mask, as per federal guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

After 70 percent of adult New Yorkers are vaccinated, businesses may choose to continue to adhere to the state’s guidance or implement other health precautions for their employees and patrons. Businesses are also authorized by the state to keep requiring masks and six feet of social distancing for employees and patrons within their establishments if they want to do so. Most businesses have dropped those requirements for vaccinated patrons in the last couple of weeks, following state and CDC guidance.

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.