Mask Mandates Eased in New York State Starting April 19

[Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Byung-hee] The state of New York in the United States will ease mask-wearing regulations starting from the 19th (local time).

According to Bloomberg on the 17th, people who have been vaccinated will be allowed to remove their masks in most indoor and outdoor situations starting from the 19th. This measure comes as New York's vaccination rate has reached 50% and COVID-19 cases have decreased.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo declared, "Let's return to life." In a briefing, Governor Cuomo announced that New York State will adopt the new guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which allow vaccinated individuals to remove masks in most indoor and outdoor settings.

Accordingly, from the 19th, New York residents who are two weeks past their final vaccination dose will generally no longer be required to wear masks or maintain six feet of social distancing. When the CDC issued the new guidelines on the 13th, many states immediately adopted them, but some states including New York and New Jersey initially maintained mask mandates, citing the need for review.

However, even vaccinated individuals must wear masks when using public transportation such as airplanes, buses, and trains, as well as in hospitals, schools, and other designated locations. Governor Cuomo added that those who have not yet been vaccinated or have compromised immune systems must continue to wear masks.

Large-scale cultural and sports events, which were skipped last year, will be held offline again this year.

The world's largest marathon, the New York Marathon, will take place on November 7 with about 33,000 participants, Governor Cuomo announced. This is about two-thirds of the usual 50,000 participants. Those wishing to participate must present proof of vaccination through New York State's app, 'Excelsior Pass,' or a paper vaccination certificate.

The New York Tribeca Film Festival will also be held in person next month. The closing ceremony of the festival, held at Radio City Music Hall, will be conducted at 100% capacity for 5,500 attendees. Radio City Music Hall, which had been closed for over a year, plans to open all events thereafter to vaccinated individuals only, allowing 'no mask' attendance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.