New York plans to undertake new Covid tips for totally vaccinated individuals on Wednesday, says Governor Cuomo

By On May 17, 2021

A man with his dog enjoys a sunny day in Central Park, New York as the CDC relaxes mask mandates for those who are vaccinated.

Adam Jeffery | CNBC

New York State will adopt the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s new mask guidelines for fully vaccinated people starting Wednesday, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Monday.

Two weeks after their final Covid-19 vaccine dose, people in most environments, whether outdoors or indoors, will no longer need to wear a face mask or stay 6 feet away from others, Cuomo said, according to the CDC’s updated public health guidelines released Thursday.

They must continue to wear a mask when traveling by plane, bus or train, as well as in specific places such as hospitals, schools or institutions that need them, he said. People who have not been vaccinated and those with compromised immune systems should continue to wear masks, he said.

Cuomo first ordered all New Yorkers to wear face covering in public in April last year.

“Let’s bring it back to life,” Cuomo said during a press conference. “If you’re vaccinated, you’re safe. No masks, no social distancing.”

Cuomo said more than 9.9 million adult New Yorkers had at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. Around 8.3 million adult New Yorkers are fully vaccinated, he said. The state’s rate of positivity, or the total percentage of tests positive for Covid, is 1.1% on Sunday, its lowest level since September 29, Cuomo said.

“We manage Covid; we have not defeated Covid,” he said. “We have more work to do on vaccinations.”

Cuomo also announced that the New York City Marathon, the world’s largest marathon, will return on November 7th. The race will allow 33,000 runners, or 60% of capacity. According to Cuomo, there will be health and safety guidelines in place that can change as race day approaches.

“This is about reviving the spirit of New York,” said Cuomo. “You can open buses, you can open subways, you can open stores, but we have to get the exuberance back.”