New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that the state of emergency over the pandemic situation, originally declared in March 2020, will end on Thursday.
Mr. Cuomo made the announcement during a press conference, and via Twitter, where he wrote, “The state of emergency for New York will end tomorrow. [e enjte]. “The fight against coronavirus and vaccination of New Yorkers are still the top priorities, but the emergency chapter of this war is over.”
On June 15, the governor lifted most of the restrictions on the pandemic.
The lifting of the state of emergency will allow local and state officials to make their own decisions on relevant public health measures, without being commanded by the governor. It will also put an end to the governor’s powers to issue executive orders that are usually reserved for the state legislature.
The governor of New York said that more than 71% of residents over the age of 18 had received at least one dose of the vaccine and more than 63% of residents had been fully vaccinated.
Mr Cuomo said the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) would remain in force, including wearing masks on public transport, airports and aircraft.