NEW YORK (WBEN) -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday announced that the state will lift the remaining COVID-19 restrictions once 70 percent of New Yorkers have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
"When we are at 70 percent I feel comfortable to lift restrictions," Cuomo said of restrictions across commercial and social settings.
Once the state reaches that goal, mask rules would apply only to situations where the CDC still recommends face coverings, like schools, large venues, and also when riding public transportation.
"When we hit 70 we will celebrate ... we can say 'we did it,'" the governor added.
Cuomo also said the state would modify the CDC's mas guidelines and allow schools to lose their mask mandate while outdoors.
The state's daily average for new cases has now fallen to 567 on a seven-day average, the lowest daily average since the pandemic began. That's down from an average of more than 16,300 cases per day in early January.
Meanwhile, rates of vaccination vary widely around New York state.
More than 60% of the population is vaccinated in northern New York counties like Hamilton and central counties like Tompkins.
But rates are as low as 29% in Allegany, 35.9% in the Bronx and 38.5% in Brooklyn.
When asked Monday how his administration would boost rates in the most reluctant communities, Cuomo said he's urging community groups, including churches, to help with vaccination efforts.
