NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio expects the city to "fully reopen" by July 1, with the lifting of the city's COVID-19 restrictions.
De Blasio told MSNBC the city will be ready for stores, offices and theaters to open at full strength. He cited improved COVID-19 vaccination rates and decreasing hospitalization rates.
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.
The PBS NewsHour will update this story as it develops.