Cuomo Marks End of COVID Restrictions With Statewide Fireworks Show as NY Hits Vaccine Milestone – NBC New York

What to Know

  • New York has hit Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 70% vaccination benchmark for eliminating state-mandated COVID restrictions on commercial and social settings; those changes take effect immediately, he said
  • Mask requirements remain in effect for pre-K-12 schools, public transit and healthcare settings in accordance with CDC guidelines; Cuomo has said the agency plans to update its recommendations in weeks
  • Fireworks displays launched statewide in New York to honor essential workers Tuesday night, Cuomo said, while NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio plans a ticker-tape parade to celebrate them on July 7

“Today is Day 472. Today is Tuesday.” And effective immediately, state-mandated COVID restrictions are eliminated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said as he announced New York had achieved his 70% adult partial vaccination milestone early.

It means an opportunity to “return to life as we know it,” the Democrat said — and he set up a series of statewide fireworks displays Tuesday to celebrate (see the 10 designated locations further down in this story).

Standing within One World Trade Center, a 1,776-foot-tall testament to New York’s ability to recover from unthinkable loss, Cuomo declared the one-time epicenter had not only turned the page on the worst public health crisis in a century but emerged mightier from it. And he credited New Yorkers for continuing the fight.

What changes going forward? No more social distancing or gathering limits for more than a dozen commercial and social settings (see them below). No more capacity restrictions. No more health screening. No more contact tracing

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