Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) on Monday said New York will lift “most remaining” coronavirus restrictions after 70 percent of New Yorkers receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine — a goal the state is swiftly nearing.
“#BREAKING: Most remaining COVID restrictions will be lifted when 70% of adult New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the COVID vaccine. We’re only 1.4% away from hitting that goal,” Cuomo said, urging people to “get vaccinated”:
Once the state hits 70 percent, industry-specific guidelines, “including capacity restrictions, social distancing, cleaning and disinfection, health screening, and contact information for tracing — 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,” according to the governor’s office.
“Large-scale event venues, pre-K to 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and healthcare settings must continue to follow the State’s guidelines until more New Yorkers are vaccinated,” his office said.
According to his Monday update, over half of New Yorkers, 59.5 percent, are considered fully vaccinated, and 68.6 percent have received at least one dose of the vaccine series:
The Democrat governor continued to tout vaccines as “extremely effective” on Tuesday, comparing the number of positive coronavirus cases reported in New York in January to positive cases reported on Monday:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) June 7 data, 42.1 percent of the U.S. population is now considered fully vaccinated, and over half, 51.6 percent, have received at least one dose in their vaccine series. The vast majority are opting for either Pfizer’s or Moderna’s non-traditional vaccine, which “teach our cells how to make a protein—or even just a piece of a protein—that triggers an immune response inside our bodies,” according to the CDC.