Questions about NY's loosened COVID restrictions, answered

NEW YORK — Now that 70% of adults in New York state have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, almost all related restrictions on businesses, gatherings and masks can now be lifted, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday.

The news is a major boon for New York economically and culturally, but after adhering to ever-changing safety guidelines for about 15 months, many are unsure about what’s allowed and what isn’t under the new guidance.

So, if you’ve still got questions about COVID-19 restrictions going into the “Summer of New York,” we’ve got the answers.

Q: Exactly which restrictions have been lifted?

Capacity restrictions, social distancing rules, cleaning protocols, health screenings and contact tracing requirements will become optional for most places, including retail stores, restaurants, offices and gyms.

Q: Are these updates effective immediately?

They sure are.

Q: Does that mean I can be maskless when I go to the supermarket?

Not exactly. Individual businesses can decide which restrictions to lift or keep in place to their discretion. The important part here is that private businesses, rather than the state, can now decide which restrictions and safety protocols they’ll adhere to.

Q: Where will COVID-19 restrictions remain in place, then?

A few places. The state's COVID-19 restrictions remain in effect for large-scale indoor event venues that hold more than 5,000 attendees. Think the Carrier Dome and Madison Square Garden. Although the state Department of Health said Tuesday that Highmark Stadium, where the Buffalo Bills play, can operate at full capacity without restrictions this fall.

The state's health guidelines will also stay in place for pre-K to grade 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health care settings, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines.

Q: Does this mean we don't have to worry about the virus anymore?

Not by a long shot. Fully vaccinated New Yorkers still need to wear masks in some instances. And while it’s true that getting vaccinated against COVID-19 affords you a great deal of protection against COVID-19 — particularly from severe illness and hospitalization — the fact remains that only about half of New York state’s total population is fully vaccinated.

According to New York State Department of Health:

67.6% of New Yorkers aged 18 and older have received one dose
55.9% of the total population have received one dose
60.6% of New Yorkers aged 18 and older are fully vaccinated
49.6% of the total population are fully vaccinated

Some health experts suggest that the recovery from COVID-19 may take longer than expected and be uneven, with areas that lag in vaccinations seeing protracted cases and deaths. There are many counties that are below the 70% mark, including Tioga, Lewis, Fulton and Allegany counties, which are at or below a 50% partial vaccination rate for its adult population.

Plus, scientists are wary of COVID-19 variants and the effectiveness of vaccines against them.

Q: What do restrictions being lifted mean for unvaccinated people?

Unvaccinated people still need to mask up and practice social distancing, in accordance with CDC guidance.

The good part is that it’s easier than ever to get a free COVID-19 vaccine in New York.

Q: What happens to the eviction moratorium?

The eviction moratorium does continue until Aug. 31 as it was a bill passed by the Legislature and signed into law by the governor.

Q: When will the remaining restrictions be lifted?

While the governor has not offered an exact date thus far, his administration has repeatedly emphasized that the state’s COVID-19 safety guidelines change based upon the latest coronavirus indicators, like seven-day positivity rates and vaccination rates. The good news is that even though those key indicators have plateaued recently, they are still in much better shape than they were earlier this year or during the fall and winter.

Q: Is there a chance restrictions can come back?

The hard truth is that they could. While New York’s vaccination rates are encouraging, health experts say spikes in cases are still possible.

In fact, we need not look any further than the United Kingdom, where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced Tuesday he was delaying lifting most of England’s remaining coronavirus restrictions for four weeks amid another rise in infections there. The United Kingdom and the United States have similar vaccination rates, and New York state’s full vaccination mark of roughly 50% is only a few percentage points higher than that of the U.K.

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Luke Parsnow, Alyssa Paolicelli and Hayley Foran contributed to this report.