Hudson Valley businesses are applauding the decision to continue easing COVID-19 restrictions.

State officials say the positivity rates as well as hospitalizations for COVID-19 continue to go down statewide so it's time to let business owners open up even more.

In just a few weeks, on May 15, gyms and fitness centers outside of New York City will get to increase their capacity from 33% to 50%.  On that same date, casino and gambling facilities will also be able to bump up from 25% to 50%.

And for those of you working from home, offices will go from 50% to 75%, so get ready to go back to the office. Starting just this week, low-risk entertainment venues like museums, zoos, and aquariums moving to half capacity and movie theaters have now increased from 25% to 33%.

Business executives say being allowed to open their doors to more people can really be a game changer because it will hopefully send a message to customers that it's safe to come back. "It's still a struggle when you're only at 33%. So now that we have the vaccinations, and people feeling a little more comfortable, and members are slowly but surely coming back, we're very happy that we're able to go to 50%," says Michael Fizz,  Equalize Fitness Executive Director.

"We've spent so much money and made so many investments in making sure that our members are safe, so we're happy that this is happening," says Fizz.

Starting May 19, outdoor stadium spectator capacity will be allowed to go from 20% to 33%.