California, New York Rescind Nearly All Covid-19 Restrictions
As New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo put it, “This is a momentous day, and we deserve it because it has been a long, long road." In California, a maskless Gov. Gavin Newsom declared, “California has turned the page. Let us all celebrate this remarkable milestone."
The New York Times:
‘A Momentous Day’: New York and California Lift Most Virus Restrictions
The governors of New York and California, the states hit earliest and hardest by the pandemic, triumphantly announced on Tuesday that they had lifted virtually all coronavirus restrictions on businesses and social gatherings as both states hit milestones in vaccinating their residents. In New York, where 70 percent of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine, the order from Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo means that restaurants will no longer be forced to space tables six feet apart; movie theaters will be allowed to pack their auditoriums without spacing seats apart; and entering commercial buildings won’t require a temperature check. (Ferre-Sadurni and Hubler, 6/15)
In updates from California —
AP:
California Marks Reopening With Jackpots, Hollywood Flair
Welcome back, California. San Francisco announced the return of its iconic cable cars. Disneyland threw open its doors to out-of-state tourists. And Gov. Gavin Newsom marked the day with Hollywood flair, visiting Universal Studios to celebrate the lifting of most COVID-19 restrictions and what he called the “full reopening” of the Golden State’s economy Tuesday. (Gecker and Dazio, 6/15)
AP:
10 California Residents Get $1.5M Richer Via Vaccine Jackpot
Gov. Gavin Newsom doled out $1.5 million each to 10 vaccinated winners at Universal Studios on Tuesday to mark the end of the state’s coronavirus restrictions. The $15 million total was the final part of Newsom’s $116.5 million so-called “Vax for the Win” program, an effort to encourage residents to get vaccinated and hasten California’s recovery in the COVID-19 pandemic that has killed 3.8 million globally and 600,000 nationwide. (Dazio, 6/15)
Bay Area News Group:
How Are Health Experts Handling California's Reopening?
How safe is it for vaccinated Californians to go about mask-free indoors now that it’s no longer a state requirement? A good gauge might be to watch what top health experts are doing as California on Tuesday drops its pandemic restrictions on how many people can be inside stores, restaurants and most other indoor places, and the requirement that everyone wear a face mask indoors whether vaccinated or not. “My approach to this is to hurry slowly,” Dr. John Swartzberg, professor emeritus of infectious disease and vaccinology with the UC Berkeley-UCSF Joint Medical Program. Though fully vaccinated, he’s not comfortable with the idea of going without a mask when he doesn’t know if others around him are immunized. (Woolfolk, 6/15)
San Francisco Chronicle:
Newsom Says Vaccine Verification Is Coming In California, But 'It's Not A Passport'
As California reopened this week, freeing people fully vaccinated for COVID-19 from most pandemic restrictions, Gov. Gavin Newsom signaled again that the state would soon introduce an electronic vaccination verification program. Such digital health certificates, also referred to as “vaccine passports,” have become a hotly debated issue. Opponents raise privacy and equity concerns, while supporters say the digital certificates will enhance public safety and speed economic recovery. (Hwang, 6/15)
Los Angeles Times:
Amid COVID Reopening, Many Californians Keeping Masks On
Despite Tuesday’s massive reopening of the California economy and the loosening of COVID-19 rules that have been in place for more than a year, many people continued to wear masks in public, saying they felt it was better to be safe than sorry. At Charlie’s Best Burgers in East Los Angeles, patrons and the staff treated California’s reopening day like any other. The burger and Mexican food chain still required customers to wear masks and maintain social distancing. The restaurant marked three of its seven booths unusable and capped capacity at 20 customers. (Campa, Vega and Seidman, 6/15)
AP:
Fireworks Return To Disney Parks In Latest Lifting Of Rules
Disney plans to restart fireworks shows at its theme parks in Florida and California in the latest move by the company to ease up on pandemic restrictions implemented last year. The company said Tuesday that firework shows will resume at the beginning of July at Walt Disney World in Florida and on the Fourth of July at Disneyland in California. The fireworks shows had been put on hold to discourage people from gathering together after the parks reopened following virus-related closures last year. (6/15)
In updates from New York —
Fox News:
New York Lifts Remaining COVID-19 Restrictions After Reaching Vaccination Goal
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that all remaining COVID-19 restrictions "would be relaxed as of today" after the state reached its goal of vaccinating 70% of the adult population, but mask-wearing would remain in effect for some. Effective immediately, businesses in the state will no longer have to follow social distancing rules or limit how many people are allowed inside, Cuomo said at his press conference from the World Trade Center in Manhattan. However, masks will still be required in schools, subways, large venues, homeless shelters, hospitals, nursing homes, jails and prisons. (Hein, 6/15)
AP:
NY Lifts More COVID-19 Rules As It Hits Vaccination Mark
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday that 70% of adults in New York have received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, a threshold he said the state would celebrate by easing many of its remaining social distancing rules and shooting off fireworks. “What does 70% mean? It means that we can now return to life as we know it,” Cuomo told an invitation-only crowd at the World Trade Center in Manhattan. (Villeneuve, 6/16)
