NY To Adopt CDC's Lifting Of Mask Mandates For Vaccinated

LONG ISLAND, NY — The masks are off: New York will adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's lifting of mask and social distancing mandates for the vaccinated, effective Wednesday.

The CDC said Thursday fully vaccinated people can forgo face coverings and social distancing in most places, both inside and outside, regardless of crowd size. Initially, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said New York was still reviewing the decision, but on Monday, he said the state will adopt the CDC's guidelines.

According to the CDC, people still need to wear face coverings on airplanes, buses, trains and other public transportation, as well as in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

According to the new CDC guidance, fully vaccinated people also can:

• Resume domestic travel and refrain from testing before or after travel or self-quarantine after travel.
• Refrain from testing before leaving the United States for international travel (unless required by the destination) and refrain from self-quarantine after arriving back in the United States.
• Refrain from testing following a known exposure, if asymptomatic, with some exceptions for specific settings.
• Refrain from quarantine following a known exposure if asymptomatic.
• Refrain from routine screening testing if feasible.

For now, the CDC added, fully vaccinated people should continue to:

• Get tested if experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
• Follow CDC and health department travel requirements and recommendations.

Cuomo said those who are immunocompromised or not yet vaccinated should wear masks and social distance.

The news coincides with a major statewide reopening in New York on Wednesday. Most capacity restrictions will be lifted in restaurants, museums, retail stores and offices. The outdoor food and beverage curfew was lifted Monday; the indoor food and beverage curfew will be lifted May 31. In addition, Cuomo said, the outdoor gathering limit was increased to 500 and the indoor limit increased to 250, with indoor residential gathering limits upped to 50.

Cuomo also announced Monday that the vaccinated versus unvaccinated model adopted by the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum will be expanded to Madison Square Garden and the Barclays Center. Under that model, 50 percent of tickets will be sold to vaccinated people; individuals in those sections must adhere to 3-foot distancing. The other 50 percent of seats will be sold to unvaccinated people, who must adhere to 6-foot distancing. Everyone must wear a mask, Cuomo said.

Cuomo said the 50 percent vaccinated directive is up to the private operator; he said he would encourage businesses to go even higher to 100 percent vaccinated. Radio City Music Hall will open again with maskless audiences required to be 100 percent vaccinated.

Cuomo also announced that the New York Marathon is back, as well as statewide county fairs, with 6-foot social distancing. The Tribeca Film Festival will reopen June 9 in an all-new park in New York City.