Public Advocate Jumaane Williams issued the following statement after Governor Cuomo announced the lifting of most COVID-19 precautions today, as New York reached a threshold of 70% of adults receiving at least one vaccination dose.
"As we see another major lifting of COVID-19 restrictions today, I want to express my gratitude to New Yorkers for their efforts to keep themselves and each other safe. "At the same time, our excitement at what's been achieved, and eagerness to fully reopen, shouldn't mean relaxing our standards for what constitutes safety from the virus, or ignoring the truth that in many of the neighborhoods hardest hit by the pandemic, we remain far from that standard. 70% of adults in New York may have received at least one shot, but only about 60% of adults are fully vaccinated, and in places like Canarsie, that number is 37%." "If the Governor is going to celebrate tonight, then he must follow the fireworks with a plan to protect the communities that have seen the worst of this pandemic. We need to reach more people with vaccines and ensure that New Yorkers get a second dose rather than let the Governor's shifting standards of safety threaten their own. "I know that the people of our city will continue to do their part to keep one another safe as we work toward recovery, and I'm happy to celebrate that spirit."