As of Friday, with the expiration of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s emergency COVID powers, most of the state’s restrictions have been lifted.
Under federal Center for Disease Control guidelines, masks are still required in hospitals, nursing homes and jails—though it’s unclear whether they’ll be required at summer school.
Businesses can keep stricter COVID regulations in place if they want and they’ll still be the rule for large indoor events of more that 5,000, where attendees will be required to provide proof or vaccination or mask up and provide proof of a negative COVID test.
Governor Cuomo said at a press conference Wednesday that he wouldn’t be extending the restrictions, first put in place in March of 2020 as a way to slow the spread of COVID; he began lifting restrictions in February.
In the United States, 618,685 people have died from COVID and more than 34 million people have tested positive for COVID, but with the availability of vaccines, the number of new cases is dipping to record lows.
In Schoharie County, where there have been just a few new cases over the past few weeks, the County Office Building has reopened and the Department of Motor Vehicles will stop requiring appointments next Tuesday, July 6.
“Today is not a day where we're going to talk about COVID numbers,” Governor Cuomo said Wednesday. “There are no charts.
“We know where we are. We are past the day-to-day monitoring of COVID. We have reached a new plateau, a plateau that should give us all confidence and success.”
Governor Cuomo continued to stress the need for vaccinations, especially in young people, whose participation has been lagging; this Wednesday will be the last chance for those ages 12-17 to enter a drawing for a free SUNY or CUNY scholarship when they get a COVID vaccine.
Governor Cuomo had been coming under increasing pressure by both Republicans and Democrats to finally lift the remaining COVID restrictions; this spring lawmakers essentially curtailed most of his emergency powers, limiting him to tweaking or extending orders if he gave them advance notice.
As of Monday, the statewide COVID positivity rate was just 0.39 percent.
About 52 percent of all eligible New Yorkers have completed their vaccine series and about 57 percent had at least one dose.
Schoharie County reported five new COVID cases over the past week for a total of 1,699.
Local vaccination rates by zip code, according to the Center for Disease Control:
Sharon—at least one dose, 35.2 percent; completed series, 32.7.
Fultonham (includes Fulton)— 37.6 percent;, 34.7 percent.
Charlotteville—40.3 percent; 34.9 percent.
Richmondville—42.1 percent; 39.3 percent.
Cobleskill (includes Seward)—44.3 percent; 41.6 percent.
Jefferson—46.1 percent; 42.5 percent.
Sloansville—46.3 percent; 43.8 percent.
Gilboa (includes Conesville)—46.3 percent; 43.3 percent.
Schoharie (includes Wright)—47.6 percent; 44.8 percent.
Middleburgh (includes Broome)—47.9 percent; 44.8 percent.
Central Bridge—52.2 percent; 5.0 percent.
Carlisle—66.5 percent; 51.3 percent.
Warnerville—66.5 percent; 61.8 percent.
Howes Cave—67.6 percent; 61.8 percent.
Esperance—70 percent; 64.8 percent.
Summit—73.5 percent; 66.7 percent.
West Fulton--76.9 percent; 73.1 percent.
North Blenheim—99 percent; 99 percent.