Governor Andrew Cuomo calls it a major step in New York’s reopening process.

Cuomo announced today that most COVID-19 capacity rates in New York will be ending on May 19.

That includes, retail stores, restaurants, museums, gyms and fitness centers and amusement venues.

Cuomo says people will still be required to stay six feet apart in indoor settings, including restaurants and theaters.

He says the six-foot rule will not apply to events that require proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test.

"The tide is turning against COVID-19 in New York, and thanks to our increasing vaccination rates, as well as our successful, data-based regional approach, we're able to take more steps to reopen our economy, help businesses and workers, and keep moving towards returning to normal,"  Cuomo said. "Thanks to the hard work of New Yorkers and our partners in government, we are now able to increase capacity limits for businesses, event venues and residences to reflect what we're seeing in the COVID data.

Cuomo also says large outdoor stadiums in New York will be allowed 33 percent capacity beginning on May 19.

Meanwhile, Cuomo say the state’s COVID positivity rate has fallen 50 percent over the last month.

The positivity rate is 1.94 percent, while hospitalizations are at 2,539.

Cuomo says there were 37 coronavirus deaths statewide on Sunday.

The governor also says over 7-million New Yorkers are now fully vaccinated and 9.3 million have received one dose.

LOOK: Here are the 50 best beach towns in America

Every beach town has its share of pluses and minuses, which got us thinking about what makes a beach town the best one to live in. To find out, Stacker consulted data from WalletHub, released June 17, 2020, that compares U.S. beach towns. Ratings are based on six categories: affordability, weather, safety, economy, education and health, and quality of life. The cities ranged in population from 10,000 to 150,000, but they had to have at least one local beach listed on TripAdvisor. Read the full methodology here. From those rankings, we selected the top 50. Readers who live in California and Florida will be unsurprised to learn that many of towns featured here are in one of those two states.

Keep reading to see if your favorite beach town made the cut.

 

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