Signs of normalcy are returning in New Rochelle as City Hall has officially opened its doors to the public.

The city, once known as the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in Westchester, is making a comeback after a year of being shut down.

Last spring, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the city the most significant cluster in the country and a one-mile containment zone was instituted.

That was when positive cases quickly shot up to more than one hundred cases in just over one week from the first known case in early March. 

Just over a year later, things are looking drastically different.

New Rochelle now has just under 200 positive cases with an infection rate on the decline.

Things aren’t completely back to where they were. Access to New Rochelle City Hall is through the rear parking lot entrance only. The front door will remain closed, and other health and safety protocols will also be in place. Hours are back to normal from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Still, many residents and business owners say the road to recovery is a long-awaited path they didn’t expect to cross so soon. "I think it’s really a good thing that we can go back and interact with our public officials, so it’s a nice thing," says Michael Conlon, of New Rochelle.

“I’m feeling positive for the future. I hope we’ve all learned a lot from the past year - not to take so much for granted. I mean everything looks nice and green, this is a great time of year to open everything up,” says Carol Fendez, of New Rochelle.