NY State of Emergency Expired

Governor Cuomo has announced that the New York State of Emergency, first declared on March 7, 2020 due to the Coronavirus pandemic, has expired. Businesses are no longer required to limit capacity or maintain social distancing, although they are free to continue restrictions if they choose.

CDC guidance remains in effect for large venues, schools, public transit, healthcare settings, nursing homes, and correctional facilities. The CDC is monitoring for the presence of the Delta variant of COVID-19 due to the higher transmissibility of the strain and the tendency to become the dominant strain in areas where it has been detected.

New York’s success in bringing the COVID infection rate down has been attributed in part to tighter restrictions and the high vaccination rate. Over 20 million doses of the vaccine have been administered. Areas of the country with the lowest vaccination rates (such as the Gulf states) are considered the most vulnerable to future surges in COVID infection rates.