“Remember June 15th” – Governor Cuomo Covid-19 Restrictions Announcement

Photo by Nataliya Vaitkevich from Pexels

Governor Cuomo just finished a momentous announcement centered around the feat that we have long been waiting for: New York State’s vaccination rate has hit 70%!

Full of symbolism regarding New York’s past, present and future, the Governor labeled June 15th a day to always remember in his announcement. Drawing parallels to the post-9/11 climate in New York, the Governor cited many common similarities that Covid-19 has surfaced including: widespread fear,  naysayers, those who said New York will never come back, those who labeled New York a target, people fleeing, and, most importantly, a recovery that was not spontaneous. 

He also announced future plans to make New York a better place, jump-starting a new period of transition in which “we can now return to life as we know it… living, not just surviving, returns.”

Here were some highlights:

Vaccination rates:

• New York State – 70%
• North County – 63.9%
• Finger Lakes – 69.0%
• Capital Region – 74.4%
• Mohawk Valley – 60.6%
• Western New York – 69.5%
• Central New York – 70.5%
• Southern Tier – 68.4%
• Mid-Hudson – 71.9%
• NYC – 68.4%
• Long Island – 75.3%

Restrictions lifted – effective immediately state-mandated covid restrictions are lifted across commercial and social settings:

• Sports and recreation
• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Trade
• Child care
• Camps
• Food services
• Offices
• Real estate 
• Buildings
• Agriculture
• Fishing 
• Forestry 
• Amusement and family entertainment
• Personal care services
• Gyms 
• Retail
• Malls
• Movie theaters 

Additional restrictions lifted:

• Social gathering and capacity restrictions
• Social distancing 
• Mask mandate
• Health screenings
• Cleaning and disinfection protocols

• Ventilation and air filtration 
• Contact tracing 

What restrictions are staying in place; per federal CDC mandates:

• Large-scale event venues
• Pre-K to 12 schools
• Public transit
• Homeless shelters
• Correctional facilities
• Nursing homes
• Healthcare settings

“New York is not reopening, we are reimagining” – future projects

• New airports, upstate and downstate 
• New LaGuardia airport, JFK airport, and airports upstate 
• Rebuilding Manhattan 

• Midtown plan 
• A new Moynihan Train Hall 

• A new Pier 76 Park
• A new Penn Station
• A new Port Authority Bus Terminal 
• Second Avenue Subway will be extended to 125th St 
• New Belmont Arena on Long Island 
• Reconnecting with the waterfront: ROC The Riverway

• Albany and Rochester
• $29 billion investment in green energy 
  • Largest green transition in nation
• First in-nation accessible and affordable broadband program 
• Public health corps and citizen health corps training 

• In order for us to learn from covid like we should have from past disease outbreaks 
• Maximizing remote learning potential 
• Telemedicine innovation 
• Restoring public safety 
• Helping the homeless 

What to look out for tonight:

• All state assets will be lit in blue and gold,
• Statewide fireworks will commence at 9:15pm to celebrate and honor essential workers 

Ending on a note of solidarity, the Governor highlighted the importance of remembering our motto – excelsior – in order to pull ourselves up, learn and be better, and reach out to our brothers and sisters in order to lift one another up to a height we’ve never reached before. 

Founded by attorneys Andreas Koutsoudakis and Michael Iakovou, KI Legal focuses on guiding companies and businesses throughout the entire legal spectrum as it relates to their business including day-to-day operations and compliance, litigation and transactional matters.

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