The summer of NYC: City poised for 'full reopening’ July 1, mayor says
/
Mayor de Blasio said the city is set for a “full reopening” July 1. Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office.
By David Brand
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter and brighter.
New York City is poised for a “full reopening” on July 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday, with the city’s vaccination rate surging and the seven-day COVID-19 positivity rate dropping below 3.2 percent.
“We are ready to bring New York City back fully on July 1, all systems go, because you've earned it,” de Blasio said. “This is going to be the summer of New York City. We're all going to get to enjoy the city again and people are going to flock here from all over the country to be a part of this amazing moment in New York City.
Much of the reopening plan will be outside de Blasio’s control, however. Throughout the pandemic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the state Health Department have set restrictions on gatherings, indoor dining capacity and venue attendance levels.
The state has gradually loosened restrictions over the past two months as new COVID cases decline, but de Blasio said he has not yet cleared the “full reopening” proposal with the embattled govenor.
“I think the best way to proceed here is to set out the city's vision,” de Blasio told reporters. “We're going to work with the federal government. We're going to work with the state government, but it's quite clear. You just saw the indicators. You've seen the numbers of vaccination. It's quite clear it's time to set a goal and move on that goal.”
De Blasio also said subways should resume 24-hour service by July 1.
Cuomo’s Office did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Hundreds of bars, restaurants and other businesses across Queens have closed their doors during the pandemic, many forever. A list compiled by the website The Infatuation shows the beloved bistros, some decades old, that have shutdown across the city.
Meanwhile, New York City’s official unemployment rate was 11.7 percent last month — nearly doubled the state average — according to New York labor data. De Blasio said the still-vague reopening plan will ensure New Yorkers get back to work.
“A recovery means so many things. One of the things [it] certainly includes is bringing back jobs, bringing back businesses, making New York City vibrant as it was before the pandemic, and then going even farther than that,” he said.
