U.S. Travel and Tourism Recovery Goes Full Bore: New York City May Fully Reopen Soon

May 9, 2021 ctn_admin

Governor Andrew Cuomo has nnounced a “major reopening” of New York state scheduled for May 19, when capacity limits will be fully lifted for retail stores, restaurants, bars, gyms, fitness centres, recreational venues, hair salons, offices, and more.

WABC News in New York reports that businesses are trying to plan and get things in place for that day, although many say it will be sometime before they are able to return to normal.

New York, New Jersey and Connecticut announced this week that they were lifting almost all their pandemic restrictions, paving the way for a return to fuller offices and restaurants, a more vibrant nightlife and a richer array of cultural and religious gatherings for the first time in a year, The New York Times said.

The Times said the relaxation of rules starting May 19 “is a testament to the fact that coronavirus cases are down and vaccination rates are rising, offering a chance to jump-start the recovery in a region that became a center of the global pandemic last spring.”

News3LV.com says some Las Vegas Strip casinos have been allowed to open at 100% capacity after showing Nevada state regulators that at least 80% of their employees have received at least one shot of coronavirus vaccine.

Wynn Resorts Ltd. and Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas representatives said they gained approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board to lift occupancy and physical distancing requirements and remove clear plastic separators from gambling tables.

California is planning to fully reopen on June 15, just over a month from now.

Meanwhile, ABC News says cruise lines “are racing to get their thousands of crew members vaccinated after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a potential return to sailing timeline that would have ships back in the water with paying passengers as early as mid-July.

Since March 2020, the CDC has blocked cruise ships that carry more than 250 people from sailing in U.S. waters. The agency announced last week that it will allow cruise companies to bypass previously required simulated voyages if a ship attests that 98% of its crew and 95% of its passengers are fully vaccinated.MORE: Cruises could resume in US by mid-July with vaccinations, CDC says

U.S. ports have since transformed into vaccination sites with ships docking in Miami, Galveston, and Port Canaveral to get their crew members inoculated, ABC reported.

Within a week 1,300 Royal Caribbean crew members have been vaccinated at Port Miami alone, according to a spokesperson for the cruise line.

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