New York City will 'fully reopen' on July 1, Mayor de Blasio says

NEW York: New York City plans to "fully reopen" on July 1 after more than a year of coronavirus-induced closures and capacity restrictions, Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Thursday, after vaccinating a large percentage of its 8 million residents.

"We are ready for stores to open for businesses to open offices, theaters -- full strength," de Blasio said on MSNBC. The mayor said his optimism on the city's imminent return to normal reflected the success of a massive drive to get New Yorkers vaccinated. He said 6.3 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the city of some 8.3 million residents.