The entire country was hit hard by Covid, but nowhere was hit as hard as New York.
The state lost 55,000 jobs per million residents. That is second only to Hawaii. There were also 3,300 extra deaths per million residents when compared to pre-pandemic expectations.
At the worst of the pandemic, it was hard to imagine New York ever getting back to normal.
Thankfully we got through the worst of it.
With nearly all restrictions being lifted, the end of the pandemic finally feels like its arrived.
70% Vaccination
Earlier this month, Governor Cuomo pledged to remove most Covid restrictions soon.
He was waiting for 70% of New Yorkers to receive at least one dose of the vaccine.
That goal was very achievable, considering 69.1% were already vaccinated at that time.
Restrictions Lifted
On Tuesday, Cuomo announced that restrictions would be lifted, effective immediately.
“Remember June 15th. Remember today, because it is the day that New York rose again.”-Governor Cuomo
Restrictions Still in Place
There are a few restrictions that will remain in place.
Masks will still be required on public transit. Other than that, the state's mask mandates are gone.
Counties and localities are still allowed to implement their own restrictions. Local businesses are allowed to do the same.
One mystery that remains is New York schools. The governor has not announced any mask or social distancing rules for schools.
My Thoughts
We have officially reached a big milestone in our fight against Covid.
California and New York were the 1st and 4th worst states as far as the number of cases.
Both states are now open with very few restrictions.
This is a great sign that the worst is behind us.
Now it’s time to enjoy a much better summer than the last one.