Most COVID Business Capacity Limits To End in New York Region on May 19
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will lift most of their coronavirus capacity restrictions on businesses, including retail stores, food services and gyms, beginning on May 19, the governors of the three states said…
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will lift most of their coronavirus capacity restrictions on businesses, including retail stores, food services and gyms, beginning on May 19, the governors of the three states said on Monday.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who announced the plan coordinated with the governors of other states in the U.S. Northeast region, said the decision was based on a steady decline in the positive rate of COVID-19 tests and hospitalizations.
The percentage of New Yorkers testing positive for the coronavirus dropped 50% over the last month, and hospitalizations decreased by nearly 40% during the same period, he said.
“New Yorkers have made tremendous progress,” Cuomo said. “It’s time to readjust the decision made on the science and on the data.”
Amusement parks, salons and offices are among the other types of businesses which will soon no longer be subject to state-imposed capacity restrictions, although all businesses can still set their own restrictions.
Cuomo also announced that the New York City subway system, which has been closing from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. for disinfecting stations and cars, will resume its 24-hour service beginning on May 17.
“We were able announce the elimination of business restrictions due to a nation-leading vaccine distribution program which benefits all Connecticut residents, and our neighbors in New York and New Jersey,” Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont said in a joint statement with Cuomo and New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.
Murphy also said the vaccine rollout was pivotal to his state’s ability to ease restrictions, and said the easing would proceed “so long as we don’t see a backslide in our metrics.”
Certain protocols such as maintaining 6 feet (1.83 m) of space between people will remain in place, Cuomo said, in line with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. Exceptions can be made at venues where people will have shown proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, he said.