Today sees a return to normalcy after more than a year of the pandemic. Does it, or does it not?As infection rates decline and vaccines become more readily available, New York State has begun to remove several coronavirus restrictions. With a few exceptions, strict capability laws are no longer in place, and the mask mandate is officially over.
What will be changed?
Businesses and houses of worship may be fully occupied, but there must be a six-foot separation between individuals or groups. So, if you own a tiny nail salon or a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, it can seem that not much has changed in terms of capacity. There is an exception to this law for restaurants. If they erect five-foot-tall partitions between the seats, they may bring them closer together. This is a costly necessity, and health experts say Plexiglas partitions can cause more harm than good.
Dr. Wafaa El-Sadr, an epidemiologist at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health, said, “All of us in public health have been on the anti-Plexiglas crusade. “Theaters and large venues, such as ballparks, can reopen to full capacity if evidence of vaccination is required. In September, all Broadway theatres will reopen.
What about the masks?
This is dependent on where you are and whether or not you have been vaccinated. Masks are still needed on public transportation, as well as in schools, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and other health-care facilities. Individuals that have been fully vaccinated may not need to wear masks indoors or outdoors, while private companies may need them. Any New Yorkers who have been vaccinated intend to keep their masks on regardless.
Is it safe to be outside?
According to Mayor Bill de Blasio, the city’s seven-day average of positive cases was 1.47 percent as of Tuesday. According to The New York Times’ database, almost 40% of city residents are completely vaccinated. Despite the latest recommendations, epidemiologists advise wearing masks indoors. Despite the fact that New York City currently averages about 600 new cases a day, Dr. El-Sadr said the city is almost back to where it was last summer, when there were 300.“However, we are not yet there,” she said.
Tourist activity in N.Y.
When Broadway reopens, more visitors will return. By the end of the year, up to 38 million people are expected to visit New York City. That’s half the usual number, but it’s a lot more than in 2020.”I see the ship turning later this summer, into the fall,” Heywood predicted, “and there will be an extraordinary amount of pent-up demand. “To stay afloat, the city relies on tourism. Many of the main landmarks and attractions are insufficient to entice visitors to return right away.
“We’re putting a lot of optimism into the third quarter of 2021 simply because of the vaccine rollout and people’s excitement for travel,” said Charles Nolan, general manager of Big Bus New York. The city is first promoting the “new” New York to residents within driving distance, then expanding from coast to coast as more people are vaccinated, and finally selling the city to the rest of the world. “To compete with the rest of the world, we’ll need a lot of marketing,” Heywood said.
