Putnam County officials are marking a return to normal. County Executive MaryEllen Odell says the fully vaccinated can remove their masks in public settings; and restaurants, gyms and other businesses can open to full capacity for customers who are vaccinated.  Odell says the hard work of residents, the isolation, closures, distancing and vaccination effort, has paid off. 

She was among a bipartisan group of county executives who had urged Governor Andrew Cuomo to adopt the CDC’s guidelines.  As New York continues to see active cases, hospitalizations and deaths steadily dropping--and more people receiving vaccinations, they said the common-sense guidance should be followed.

Private businesses in Putnam County can follow the CDC guidelines or maintain their own mask requirements for the fully vaccinated. New York state will no longer impose capacity or social distancing limits on restaurants, if they ask customers for proof of vaccination, such as the Excelsior pass or vaccination card. Otherwise, Odell says social distancing requirements apply. 

Employees of Putnam County who are vaccinated can return to work unmasked. Those who have not yet been vaccinated must wear a mask. Anyone who is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 must still isolate themselves and present proof of a negative COVID test before returning to work. 

As of Tuesday, 62.7 percent of all Putnam residents over the age of 15 have had at least one dose of the vaccine and 45.1 percent have been fully vaccinated.