New York Lifts Pandemic Restrictions

New York state has reached a milestone of having at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose in 70 percent of its residents and joined California in lifting many pandemic restrictions on Tuesday.

New York's COVID-19 positivity rate climbed as high as 48.2 percent, making it the highest in the world at one point. But the rate is now 0.4 percent, the lowest rate in the United States, according to Johns Hopkins University, CNN reported.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced an immediate end to all state-mandated restrictions in all commercial and social settings, CNN reported. Mask requirements will remain in pre-K, on public transit, and in health care settings, Cuomo said.

California and New York have the highest COVID-19 death tolls in the United States (more than 63,000 and 53,000, respectively), CNN reported. On Tuesday, COVID-19 deaths in the United States surpassed 600,000.