Today most public indoor venues in NYC can reopen at full capacity, and the universal indoor mask mandate is being lifted.
Also today: 53% of NYC residents have not had their 1st shot, and we're averaging 700 new cases/day.
Each of us has a role to play to keep NYC safe now. 1/
If have have not been vaccinated, please continue to use great caution. Wear a mask in all social settings. Get tested regularly. And most importantly, get the vaccine as soon as you can. 2/
If you are a store/supermarket/gym/salon/movie theater owner, please continue to require masks of ALL customers, to protect your workers, the immunocompromised, and kids (the alternative of requiring masks only for vax'd cases on the honor system will not work).
3/
Yes, CDC has announced that fully vax'd people can safely unmask in most indoor settings.
But requiring only unvax’d people to wear masks in stores etc would be unworkable. And it would expose workers, kids & others to risk.
NY should not yet lift the indoor mask mandate. 1/
The revised CDC guidelines are great news for those who are vaccinated, and should serve as added incentive for anyone debating whether to get the shot.
But CDC also said it is leaving it up to local governments how to change mask mandates.
2/
NYC has made enormous progress in vaccination. But still 54% of our population has not gotten even their 1st shot.
Likewise cases have dropped significantly in recent weeks, but still we are averaging over 1,000 new cases/day in NYC. 3/
For the first time in 4 months, vax appts in NYC are not being immediately filled.
Some people gave up trying to book because it's been so hard. But it's easier now—the main sites have improved & the competition for slots is less intense.
We need to spread the word on this. 1/
Spots at marquis sites like Javits still go super fast. But there are 100s of appts (even for this week!) open at smaller sites around the 5 boroughs. Check here: vaccinefinder.nyc.gov
2/
There are also appts open at the kinds of places that aren't searched by the bots. e.g.:
If you’re one of the growing # of NYers who have been fully vaccinated, congrats!
You may have questions about what you can and can’t do, what the variants mean, when and if you’ll need a booster, whether you should get a vaccine passport, and more.
Here are some answers. 1/
I’ve heard mixed messaging--can I still catch the virus after my vaccine?
* The vaccines are amazingly effective! They prevent nearly 100% of deaths and hospitalizations from covid. And the chance of mild or asymptomatic cases is dramatically reduced. 2/
I’ve also heard mixed messaging on whether I can still spread the virus--what’s the deal?
* Research is still underway on this. It appears you are far less likely to transmit the virus once you’re fully vaccinated, but that risk is not zero. So precautions are still required. 3/