BUFFALO, N.Y. — New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that museums and zoos can increase patron capacity to 50% beginning April 26.
He made the announcement during a briefing in Albany.
Additionally, movie theaters can increase capacity to 33%, also on April 26.
Sports fans looking to enjoy the playoffs will benefit from indoor arena's increasing capacity to 25% beginning May 19.
Governor Cuomo said that date was not picked out of thin air, but determined with various sports organizations as the playoff season for the NBA nears.
Governor Cuomo also updated the state on the COVID-19 situation throughout the state.
According to the Governor, New York had a 2.9% COVID-19 positivity rate as of Monday and reported 44 deaths with over 3,700 people hospitalized.
Cuomo said this is the lowest positivity rate since November 13, and the lowest hospitalization rate since December 4.
"We're at a level where we were before the holiday season," Governor Cuomo said.
The Western New York region still had the highest positivity rate in the state, at 4.7%.
"Nothing accounts for this other than human behavior," the Governor said.
The governor highlighted that the Southern Tier region, our neighboring region, had a positivity rate of 0.86%
2 On Your Side reporter Ron Plants asked Governor Cuomo if the state was considering new restrictions because of the high percentage of positive COVID-19 cases in Western New York.
Governor Cuomo said the state was studying the data closely, but at this time new restrictions are not being considered immediately, but not ruled out either.
Reporters on the call also asked the Governor about the payment he received for the book he wrote in 2020, and whether staffers helped with the writing of the book. The Governor said all the financial details stemming from the book will be released when his income taxes are public and reiterated his claim that any staffer that helped with the book volunteered.