New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently released a statement that indoor and outdoor ceremonies, including graduations and other events, will be allowed with limited capacity effective May 1.

With more people getting vaccinated, these new regulations come on the upswing. New York schools will have to follow a set of rules to maintain a standard of safety. Depending on the size of the venue and the amount of people attending, attendance will have to be cut from the original size to as little as 20% capacity at outdoor events. For indoor events, attendance will be cut to as low as 10% capacity. Attendees will also be required to show proof of a negative a Covid-19 test beforehand, and masks and social distancing will still be required for these large gatherings.

A graduation at Pelham in a normal year would be placed in the large-scale ceremony category. This means that attendance will likely be cut to 20% capacity. Pelham’s graduations are typically outdoors; as a result, Pelham will not have to find a new venue to hold graduation and can continue to hold it on Franklin field if they choose. However, there are no set plans as of now in terms of graduation, with Principal Mark Berkowitz stating “We’re still in the planning stages.”

Even with these new guidelines, Covid-19 is still present. Governor Andrew Cuomo has expressed that there are still safety concerns. “With more people getting vaccinated every day, we are so close to the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Cuomo, “…but we all need to continue being vigilant and I am urging everyone to celebrate smart.”