NYS Ends COVID-19 State of Emergency

If last year wasn't the longest year of our lives, I don't know what year was.  From the scary days of last February and March 2020, and through all of the closings, health warnings, unbelievable numbers of illnesses and deaths, the cancellation of almost every community event or gathering, millions losing their jobs, schools being closed and on and on, it appears that we are emerging from "The Great Pause."

New York’s COVID-19 State of Emergency will end after today. Federal CDC guidance remains in effect, which includes masks for unvaccinated individuals, as well as all riders on public transit and in health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. State and local government health departments will still be able to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings. The state of emergency was declared in March of 2020.

This is great news for all of us.  As we enter the hot summer months, and a feeling of liberation sweeps across the land, we hope everybody will have a great summer but always be wary of what might lie ahead.  We can all agree that we do not want to go back to 2020 ever again, so we ask all of our listeners to be responsible and pay attention to any new alerts or warnings from the CDC and our local health officials.  There are a few dark clouds way over the horizon, as we hear of coronavirus variants starting to make themselves known.  So be alert and if you haven't been vaccinated yet, please consider doing it.  For you and your loved ones.