New York City senior centers to restart indoor activities by June 14

New York City is allowing senior centers to join the wave of reopenings, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced yesterday, with indoor activities at the centers set to restart on June 14.

The centers, which have also been barred from hosting outdoor activities, can resume outdoor programming immediately.

Elected officials, older adults and nonprofits that run senior centers have been calling on the mayor to develop a plan for reopening for months as COVID-19 vaccination rates have picked up. They’ve argued that the centers provide vital programming for seniors who have been most at-risk during the pandemic – and have often been isolated as a result – and should be prioritized similarly to how the city has reopened businesses and venues. 

“It’s about time our seniors get the support they need,” said City Council Member Margaret Chin, who chairs the Council’s Committee on Aging, during the announcement. 

The city will be allowing both vaccinated and unvaccinated seniors to enter senior centers, Lorraine Cortes-Vazquez, commissioner of the city Department for the Aging, said. About 71% of residents over the age of 65 have had at least one vaccine dose, according to city data, while nearly two-thirds are fully vaccinated.