#New York has vaccinated 70 percent of adults: report

New York has reached its goal of giving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to 70 percent of its adult residents, Spectrum News reported, citing data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The benchmark has been touted by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the magic number the Empire State needed to reach in order to lift “virtually all” safety restrictions, including capacity limits in bars and restaurants and mandatory health screenings. 

Once 70 percent of adults get at least one dose of the jab, restrictions will be “optional” for retail, restaurants, offices, gyms, amusement parks, hair salons, barber shops and personal care services, Cuomo said. 

Restrictions will still be in place at large-scale events and in places like schools, homeless shelters and healthcare facilities and those who haven’t gotten the jab will still have to wear a mask and social distance, the office said. 

Cuomo’s office and the state Department of Health didn’t immediately return a request for comment and it’s not clear if the governor will issue a reopening directive.

Earlier Monday, Cuomo announced the rate among adults was 69.9 percent — just a hair shy of what was needed — and shamed a number of zip codes that had the lowest vaccination rates in the state, including seven that are in the Big Apple. 

He also pointed to the age group that has the lowest rate in the state — those 12 to 17 years-old, who only just recently were allowed to start getting the shot — and said more needs to be done to increase their numbers. 

The benchmark is one more indication that normalcy may soon be resuming in the Big Apple — as of Monday, the state’s COVID-19 infection was just 0.4 percent.