NY's Coronavirus State Of Emergency To End Thursday

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — "The emergency is over." So said NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo Wednesday as he announced that, as of Thursday, New York's state of emergency will officially be lifted; the order will not be renewed after it expires.

It's long past due, New York Assemblyman Mike Lawler said in response. The Rockland County called last week's fireworks displays to celebrate when the state vaccination rate hit 70 percent "self-congratulatory" and said they instead should have marked the end of Cuomo's emergency powers.

Cuomo first announced a state of emergency March 3, 2020; renewed for 15 months, it allowed him to procure resources and funding to address the COVID-19 outbreak.

The governor credited the efforts of essential workers and all New Yorkers for their work to bring the positivity rate down and the vaccination rate up to 70 percent, the number at which coronavirus restriction mandates were lifted statewide.

"It's a new chapter but the emergency is over," Cuomo said. He said there is still a need to vaccinate individuals, especially young people, and to "stay vigilant" as other mutations of the virus, including the Delta variant, emerge.

Federal CDC guidance will remain in effect, which includes masks for unvaccinated individuals, as well as all riders on public transit and in certain settings, such as health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. State and local government health departments will still be able to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings.

He also warned that a future pandemic is inevitable. "It will happen again and we have to be prepared," he said.

Cuomo announced a new "Circle of Heroes" monument that will be created in Battery Park City; the design includes 19 maple trees around an eternal flame, honoring the essential and front line workers who showed up despite the dangers during the pandemic, as well as those lost.

"We are eternally grateful for what they did," he said.

Cuomo also announced $25 million in childcare scholarships to essential workers — and signed into law a "Safe Staffing" bill that is aimed at improving the quality of the healthcare system so the state is more adequately prepared in the event of the next crisis.

Hospitals will be asked to design plans by January 1 and include how many staffers are needed to provide direct care and to keep nurses, doctors, and administrators safe; after Jan. 1, the Department of Health will "police and regulate the plan" and penalize those in violation, he said.

Cuomo said the state's vaccination incentive for teens — a lottery for a full scholarship to a New York state college — would run for one more week. This week, two Hudson Valley students were among the winners.