Earlier this month, Cuomo said society would go "back to life as normal" once the state hit the 70 percent rate. Tuesday, he announced that all state mandates — including capacity restrictions, health screenings, cleaning and disinfection protocols and others — would be fully relaxed. But he retained the state of emergency declaration to continue to manage COVID-19, he said, and individual businesses or local governments can keep restrictions in place if they choose.
Cuomo said the state is planning fireworks shows throughout the state Tuesday night to celebrate the occasion. The fireworks will start at 9:15, Cuomo's top aide said on Twitter, and in Albany will be at Empire State Plaza . Although the state hit 70 percent vaccination for adults, that number does not include people ages 12 through 17 who are also eligible for shots, and it is not considered reaching full herd immunity status.
"This is a momentous day, and we deserve it because it has been a long, long road," Cuomo said, highlighting that the state has descended from the highest test positivity rate in the country to the lowest.
The site of Tuesday speech evoked New York City's rebuilding after 9/11. The governor recently made this connection with his comments about the Tribeca Film Festival , an event that was started after the terror attack to promote tourism and rebuild the city.
"We are standing in a monument to coming back better than ever before," Cuomo said. "COVID has some similarities with 9/11. ... We had to build back, and we had to build back better."
His words about the state's ability to rebound from hardships — from 9/11, from Hurricane Sandy, from COVID-19 — clearly also reflected his own more political survival prospects amid the various political crises he has weathered in recent months. The governor and his administration stand accused of a variety of alleged personal and professional misdeeds, including using state resources for personal gain, covering up nursing home deaths during the pandemic, failing to properly address structural deficiencies in the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge , and sexually harassing and in one case assaulting female staffers and other women.
Despite the existence of at least three ongoing investigations against him, Cuomo mentioned none of those allegations, and he took no questions at the end of the event. He did, however, list his administration's policy priorities and major infrastructure projects.
The speech was delivered in front of packed and maskless audience, and the governor entered to a standing ovation. He spoke flanked by a New York state flag and an American flag.
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