On Monday, Governor Andrew Cuomo outlined the phased-in approach to reopening the economy again in New York.
He was in Rochester giving his briefing.
Cuomo said regions must have at least 14 days of decline in total hospitalizations and deaths on a 3-day rolling average. He noted those areas with few COVID cases cannot exceed 15 new total cases or 5 new deaths over a 3-day rolling average.
Another factor: Regions must have fewer than two new COVID patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day. They must also have at least 30% hospital and ICU beds available.
All of the steps will be coupled with the new requirement that hospitals have at least 90 days of PPE stockpiled.
Governor Cuomo says regions must have a baseline of 30 contact tracers for every 100,000 residents; and additional tracers based on projected number of cases.
“Nothing has ever been done to this scale,” Governor Cuomo said during the presser. “That whole tracing system has to be set up. It’s never bone done before.”
Cuomo says businesses must ‘reimagine’ their operations to be safe in compliance with new state standards. “That’s business by business,” he said. The Finger Lakes is one of the region’s that the Governor said is considered ‘low risk’. Western New York was considered high risk.
He also addressed the mask enforcement issue, which some community leaders have raised. Previously, the Governor had said it would be socially enforced, but after being asked by a reporter – he said communities could create enforceable fines. “It’s an executive order I’m proud of,” he said. “It’s their right to enforce.”
Here are the types of businesses, and what’s included in each phase of reopening:
Phase I: Manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; and select retail with curbside pickup.
Phase II: Professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, real estate and rental leasing.
Phase III: Restaurants and food service; and hotel accommodations.
Phase IV: Arts, entertainment, and recreation, as well as education.
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