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Do you know what we need right now? Surprise fireworks.
To celebrate New York State reaching 70 percent of adults getting their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that there will be fireworks displays tonight at 9:15pm across the state, including right here in New York Harbor.
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"472 days ago, it was impossible to fathom that 70 percent of New York's adults would have received their first COVID vaccination by this point. What felt years away has been accomplished in less than one," Governor Cuomo said on Tuesday. "As we celebrate lifting restrictions and resuming our reimagined normal, we also reflect on the hard work of New York State's essential workers and we remember those we lost. New Yorkers have always been tough, but this last year has proven just how tough they are. Congratulations, New Yorkers, on all that your hard work has accomplished."
Not only will there be fireworks lighting the sky tonight, but multiple landmarks will glow blue and gold to celebrate the milestone, including the Empire State Building, One World Trade Center, Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, Kosciuszko Bridge, Grand Central Terminal - Pershing Square Viaduct and the East End Gateway at Penn Station.
The announcement has New Yorkers wondering if it's a cruel joke since NYC just created a fireworks task to tackle excessive noise from illegal fireworks. These sporadic fireworks were the bane of many New Yorkers' existence last year when we were all stuck at home. For some, it's also hard to celebrate when 33,000 New Yorkers lost their lives to the illness.
Some New Yorkers took to Twitter to express their frustration:
Andrew there’s fireworks literally everyday in Brooklyn https://t.co/3flRpZdIMf
— Serena (@serenataranyc) June 15, 2021
Here's a tip: Traumatized New Yorkers do not want fucking fireworks to "celebrate" 70% 1/2 vaccinated adults. Fireworks terrify pets and people with PTSD and the generally anxious. Not to mention the vaccination rates are wildly skewed depending on location.
— Amanda Guinzburg (@Guinz) June 15, 2021
we should not be having a fireworks display in NYC when we've lost over 33,000 New Yorkers and millions continue to suffer around the world. It's pretty classless actually
— Matt(eo) 🐌 (@MFallingStar18) June 15, 2021
But in fact, it's a true celebration by New York State—the fireworks announcement comes on the heels of the immediate lifting of nearly all restrictions on business and social gatherings, including capacity limits, social distancing requirements, disinfection guidelines and health screenings. Now it is optional for businesses to do these things.
The state will still mandate some masking rules, including requiring that unvaccinated people wear them indoors and social distance as well as requiring them in general at health care facilities, schools, public transit and homeless shelters, according to The New York Times.
If you can't catch tonight's fireworks, don't worry, you can still catch the Macy's 4th of July fireworks, which are making an official comeback on the East River this year.