Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced in-person outdoor, socially-distanced graduations with up to 150 people will be allowed beginning Friday, June 26 — subject to any outbreaks or significant changes in the metrics.
“In terms of reopening, we have been calibrating our strategy based on the data and the facts, and overall the numbers are down, the numbers are good and our plan is working,” Cuomo said. “Based on today’s numbers we can continue to advance our reopening, and we will now allow outdoor graduations of up to 150 beginning June 26th. New Yorkers have worked together to bend this curve quickly, and if we continue on this trajectory, remain responsible and follow all social distancing protocols, we can keep accelerating our reopening strategy.”
Owego Apalachin School District and the Union Endicott School District both lobbied Cuomo in letter for permission to hold in-person ceremonies. Both want to hold graduation on Saturday, June 27 at their athletic fields. Across the border in Pennsylvania, three districts — Athens ,Towanda and Sayre, all in Bradford County — held limited in-person ceremonies last week.
Cuomo also has announced places of worship will be permitted to reopen at 25 percent occupancy with all social distancing protocols in place during Phase 2 of reopening, but only the seven regions of the state that have already entered Phase 2 — that being Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York — may reopen churches, synagogues and mosques immediately.
Cuomo announced New York City will finally moved into Phase 1 starting on Monday.
