New York will lift many capacity restrictions on businesses starting Wednesday, in response to the easing of the coronavirus pandemic in the region and rising vaccination rates. It is a moment state officials have billed as a major return to normalcy. Most businesses — restaurants, stores, salons and gyms — will be able to return to 100 percent capacity, but only if they can still maintain six feet of distance between individuals or groups. The same is true for houses of worship. Vaccinated people will no longer have to wear masks, indoors or outdoors, in most circumstances, but individual businesses are free to make stricter mask rules. (Masks will continue to be mandatory on public transit and in schools from prekindergarten to grade 12, in homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes and health care settings.) To read the full story.