Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that the Southern Tier, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Central New York and the North Country regions have met all the seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state’s regional phased reopening plan when NYS on PAUSE orders expire on Friday.
Southern Tier counties that may start reopening are: Tioga, Broome, Chemung, Steuben, Schuyler, Chenango, Delaware and Tompkins counties.
These five regions may begin opening businesses for phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain, retail for curbside pickup and drop-off or in-store pickup, and agriculture, forestry and fishing.
Officials of the eight counties in the Southern Tier region who worked together to put together the reopening plan issued this statement: “We have worked together as a region to make sure the Southern Tier meets all reopening requirements from New York State. It is important that we begin reopening in the Southern Tier region, doing so with public health and safety at the forefront. The work that we did together led to us being able to begin reopening on May 15th with State approval. As we begin the phased reopening of businesses across our region, we will continue to work together to make sure that we are meeting all state requirements, following public health guidelines, and getting our businesses back to work.”
Questions about when other businesses and organizations may reopen can be partially answered by reading the four phases established by the state as the order of reopening.
In regions where the above requirements are met, businesses will be allowed to reopen in four phases, prioritizing industries that pose the lowest risk of infection for employees and customers.
Phase One will allow construction, manufacturing, wholesale supply chain businesses to reopen, as well as some retailers for curbside pickup.
With regards to retail, many nonessential businesses throughout the state have already been offering curbside pickup. Businesses that cannot offer that, like retailers inside shopping malls, will not be eligible to reopen.
After two weeks, state and regional officials will evaluate the outcomes of the reopening and decide whether or not the region can move onto the next phase.
Phase Two will allow a wider range of businesses to reopen, including storefront retailers and businesses in the professional services, finance and insurance, administrative support, and real-estate and rental-leasing industries.
Phase Three will focus on the hospitality industry, allowing restaurants and other food-service businesses to reopen for dine-in service, as well as hotels — which are already considered essential businesses and are allowed to serve overnight guests, but this phase will likely mean they will be able to reopen their dine-in restaurants, spas, and gyms.
Phase Four, the final phase, will allow schools, and arts, entertainment, and recreation businesses to reopen — including theaters, movie theaters, and other entertainment venues, as well as museums and other artistic institutions. (No matter what, schools will remain closed in the state for the remainder of the current academic year.)
The Governor also announced that certain low-risk business and recreational activities will be ready to reopen statewide on May 15th, including landscaping and gardening; outdoor, low-risk recreational activities such as tennis; and drive-in movie theaters.
