NEW YORK — Gov. Andrew Cuomo says New York is finally ready to reopen amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor announced during a news conference Tuesday that New York reached the 70% threshold for vaccinations in eligible people 18 and older.

“We can now return to life as we know it,” the governor said Tuesday.

Under the reopening, state mandates related to COVID will be relaxed effective immediately. This includes capacity and social gathering restrictions, as well as health screening regulations.