New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says the city will reopen 100% on July 1

April 30, 2021: -New York City will reopen in total capacity from July 1, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday. “We plan to reopen on July 1 fully. We are ready to open the stores, for businesses to reopen, offices, theaters, full strength,” de Blasio said on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”

Restaurants, gyms, shops, hair salons, and arenas will open at total capacity. Whereas smaller theaters could reopen after the summer, and Broadway is on track to open by September.

It’s the first time the city will be fully reopened in over a year. New York City first shut down in March 2020 when it became the original epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic in the U.S.

New York City records 923,953 coronavirus cases and 32,461 virus-related deaths, which include probable infections on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, New York City had administered above 6 million doses of Covid vaccines, roughly with 36% of the city’s adult population fully vaccinated, according to city data. Over half the city’s adult population has received one dose of a vaccine at least.

“What we’re seeing is that people have gotten vaccinated at extraordinary numbers,” de Blasio said. “This is going to be the summer of New York City. I think people are going to flock to New York City because they want to live again,” de Blasio added.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would lift dining curfews statewide and ban bar seating in the city starting in May. Seating at bars will be allowed in New York City beginning May 3, while outdoor dining curfews of midnight are set to end by May 17.