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 "It is an important milestone, and we're going to keep pushing to do
more," Cuomo told a news conference, adding that the state would
continue to encourage more New Yorkers to get vaccinated.
Restrictions across commercial and social settings will be lifted
immediately. Cuomo said some limitations based on guidelines from
the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would remain in
place, with mitigation measures still required in public transit and
healthcare settings.
Industry-specific restrictions, which had been in effect before
Tuesday, included capacity limits of 50% for retailers, 33% for gyms
and the lesser of 33% or 100 people for movie theaters.
Businesses will no longer need to require vaccinated people to wear
masks and maintain six feet (2 meters) of distance. Unvaccinated
residents must still wear masks and maintain distancing in public,
and may need to show proof of a recent negative coronavirus test to
gain entrance to some event venues, the governor's office said.
Cuomo, whose state was the epicenter of the U.S. COVID-19 public
health crisis last year, also said individuals and businesses could
still choose to adopt some precautions.
The governor, who won praise in the early days of the pandemic for
his televised news conferences but later became entangled in
accusations of sexual misconduct, abuse of power and allegations of
mishandling nursing homes during the crisis, made a triumphant
entrance at the World Trade Center in New York City on Tuesday to
mark what he called a "momentous day."
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 "New York State has fully
vaccinated a larger share of adults than any
other big state in the country," he told a
cheering crowd that included first responders
and hospitality workers. On
Tuesday night, fireworks all across the state will celebrate the
milestone, Cuomo announced, and the Empire State Building and other
state landmarks will be lit in blue and gold, New York's colors.
Most U.S. states have moved to ease or lift coronavirus restrictions
as the virus abates and vaccinations progress.
New York joined California, where restrictions including physical
distancing, mask requirements and capacity limits for restaurants,
stores and other businesses that cater to consumers ended on
Tuesday.
(Reporting by Maria Caspani and Jonathan Allen and Peter Szekely in
New York, Editing by Will Dunham, Chizu Nomiyama and Bill Berkrot)
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