More than a year ago, the blockade order during the COVID-19 pandemic made the ‘sleeping city’ of New York an extremely gloomy place. However, with strides in vaccination, the city has regained its vitality this summer.
Broadway artists perform in Times Square on March 12. Photo: AP According to the AP news agency, starting May 19, people in New York City who have been fully vaccinated may not need to wear masks when going out, to restaurants, grocery stores, gyms. sex. Businesses will also be allowed to operate at full capacity if they ensure all customers are vaccinated against COVID-19. The subway system will also resume full operation this week. The midnight curfew for bars, clubs and restaurants will also be lifted at the end of May. The theater is already open for sale, though shows will begin in September at the earliest. “75% of things are going back to normal,” says Mark Kumar (24), a personal trainer. However, Ameen Deen (63 years old) was less optimistic about New York’s ability to soon return to normal as before because there has been so much loss in the recent COVID-19 pandemic. 
The curfew for bars and restaurants will be lifted by the end of this month. Photo: AP 
As long as all passengers are fully immunized, businesses can operate at full capacity. Photo: AP Last spring, the largest city in the United States became the nation’s most serious COVID-19 hotspot, when it saw more than 21,000 people die from COVID-19 in just two months. Hospitals are overwhelmed with patients and bodies. Refrigerated trucks are used as temporary body storage. The familiar busy streets of New York fell into silence, only the sound of ambulance sirens and the cheers of people from the windows of apartments for medical workers. After a year, New York hopes the vaccination campaign is giving the city a resurgence. About 48% of people in the city have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The number of deaths from COVID-19 in recent weeks has only recorded about 20 cases / day. New cases and hospitalizations also decreased significantly. 
The subway system returned to operating capacity as before the epidemic. Photo: AP 
Barber shops have also been allowed to operate. Photo: AP Casinos in Las Vegas are back to 100% capacity and do not require social distancing. Disneyland in California opened late last month after being closed for more than 400 days. Summer music festivals like Lollapalooza are back. The federal government said adults who have received two full doses of the vaccine do not need to wear a mask when participating in this 100,000-fan gathering event. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio declared it “New York City’s summer”. Shakeem Brown, an artist and delivery man in Manhattan, said it was “refreshing” to see things reopening. At e’s Bar on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, owner Erin Bellard said: “We feel the energy of society gradually increasing. People are very happy to be out.”
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