UPDATED: 7/2/21 — 1:22 P.M.
BINGHAMTON, NY (WSKG) — The executive order that established Tompkins County’s State of Emergency in March 2020 will expire on July 3.
“These changes mark significant positive milestones in our COVID-19 experience,” Frank Kruppa, Tompkins County Public Health Director, said in a statement on Friday. “With the 4th of July weekend approaching, I encourage everyone to celebrate safely as we continue to move forward.”
County officials will continue to update its COVID-19 data table on a weekly basis. As of Friday afternoon, there were six active cases of the virus in Tompkins County.
After 15 months, Broome County lifted its COVID-19 State of Emergency on Thursday afternoon.*
The county initially issued the order on March 14, 2020, in an effort to slow the spread of the virus. Chemung, Chenango, Delaware, Otsego, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga and Tompkins Counties each issued similar orders that weekend.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo lifted the statewide emergency declaration last Thursday. Mayor Rich David suspended the City of Binghamton’s State of Emergency that day as well, and opened City Hall to the public this week.
Broome County’s declaration expired at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, after 457 days in effect.
The Emergency Operations Center will also cease its operations, according to a statement released by county officials on Thursday morning. Throughout the State of Emergency, the center’s staff helped distribute 1.5 million pieces of personal protective equipment and 1.2 million meals to students in remote classes.
Federal CDC guidance will remain in effect, including masks for unvaccinated individuals, as well as all riders on public transit and in certain settings, such as health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities and homeless shelters.
State and local government health departments can still take measures to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings.
People who are unvaccinated remain vulnerable to COVID-19, including the more transmissible delta variant, which is spreading rapidly across the country.
CDC director Rochelle Walensky told NPR that the federal government may "encourage" states to return to more mitigation measures where vaccination rates are low and cases are rising.
As of Thursday morning, there were 26 active COVID-19 cases in Broome County. 66 percent of people 18 and older in the county have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
*This story was updated to include information on Tompkins County's State of Emergency expiration.