NEW YORK (AP) — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says he expects to see the city’s COVID-19 restrictions lifted and “fully reopen” by July 1. De Blasio said on MSNBC that the city will be ready for stores offices and theaters to open at full strength. He cited rising COVID-19 vaccination rates and decreasing hospitalization rates for his optimistic projection. But it is unclear whether the mayor has the power to say when schools, restaurants and offices can open at full capacity. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has maintained throughout the pandemic that those decisions are his alone.
Photo: FILE – In this Thursday, March 19, 2020 file photo, The Manhattan bridge is seen in the background of a flashing sign urging commuters to avoid gatherings, reduce crowding and to wash hands in the Brooklyn borough of New York.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E, File)
