New York City will be alive this summer. Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, April 3, that most pandemic-related capacity restrictions in New York and New Jersey will be lifted beginning May 19. Restoration of 24-hour MTA service in New York City will coincide with the lifting of outdoor curfews for bars and restaurants. There will still be some limitations in effect surrounding health screening, air filtration, and contact tracing, Cuomo noted. But ultimately, summer in the city will be in full effect for many New Yorkers.
The tide is turning against COVID & we are ready for a major reopening:
✅Most industry capacity limits to be lifted on 5/19
✅Limit on outdoor residential gatherings to be removed on 5/10
✅New capacity increases for indoor & outdoor venuesNY is coming back!
— Andrew Cuomo (@NYGovCuomo) May 3, 2021
Broadway will be allowed to open on the 17th as well, but the Broadway League (the trade association for the Broadway industry) is still planning for a fall reopening. “We look forward to reopening at full capacity and are working to safely welcome audiences and employees back to Broadway this fall,” the Broadway League says in a statement. The only capacity limits that will remain in place across New York and New Jersey as of May 19 are for large-scale indoor and outdoor venues and indoor/outdoor social and residential gathering limits. Cuomo reported a statewide rolling positivity rate Monday of 1.79 percent, the lowest since Nov. 5 and a 50 percent drop over the last month.
NYC’s arts and culture are what make our city so special – and making sure they are included in our recovery is crucial to getting the city we love back on its feet. This is great news! https://t.co/raiobRDjQl
— Andrew Yang🧢🗽🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) May 4, 2021
More than one out of every three New Yorkers has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced last Saturday. As of Sunday, 34.9 percent of New Yorkers had completed their vaccine series. The reopening of New York City, although a tad premature for some, is a glimmer of hope for many residents who’ve felt the pandemic stole some of NYC’s magic. With Cuomo’s announcement came many residents noting an op-ed article from the New York Post, titled “NYC is dead forever” sparked a controversial debate early in the pandemic. The latest reopening news has also led to the announcement of major music festivals returning to the city. Governor’s Ball announced today it’s lineup for a later summer return of the popular music event. NYC mayoral candidate, Andrew Yang, tweeted “NYC’s arts and culture are what make our city so special — and making sure they are included in our recovery is crucial to getting the city we love back on its feet. This is great news!”
