New York will lift  orange zone and most yellow zone restrictions in parts of the state, a move Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday said was tied to the decline in cases since a holiday season spike.  

The announcement affects Monroe, Chemung, Erie, Onondaga, and Westchester counties. Meanwhile, dozens of yellow zone restrictions across the state are also being lifted, save for Newburgh, the Bronx and Washington Heights. 

New York has seen a decline in COVID-related hospitalizations since the start of the year as well as a drop off in daily cases. 

The move comes also after Erie County restaurants won a court battle with the state to ropen for indoor dining in an orange zone area. The designation limits bars and restaurants to outdoor service. 

Meanwhile, Cuomo warned against complacency, pointing to a variant of the virus. There are now 42 confirmed cases of the varaint that originated in the United Kingdom confirmed in New York. 

"We can only make decision based on the facts we have today," Cuomo said.