NEW YORK, May 19 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. state of New York will allow Memorial Day ceremonies honoring the country's military veterans to be held with up to 10 people in attendance, Governor Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

Ceremonies marking the Monday holiday with 10 or fewer people will be allowed by the state, and local governments can decide if and how they want to hold the ceremonies, Cuomo said at his daily briefing.

He said honoring the sacrifices of military members is an "important tradition" despite statewide lockdown rules. "This is important to many, many families all across this state," he said. "It is important to the veterans that they be recognized, and I think we can do that, and I think we can do it safely."

Localities can also stage vehicle parades. Cuomo did not immediately explain details of what types of ceremonies or events might qualify for the exemption.

New York officials have been gradually relaxing lockdown rules as COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths decline. There are an average of 335 new hospitals admissions a day. There were 105 new deaths recorded Monday.

As of Tuesday afternoon, there have been more than 352,000 COVID-19 cases, with over 28,000 deaths, in New York state.