Gov. Cuomo outlines New York reopening plan
NEW YORK - Saying that "we are on the other side of the mountain," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said it is time to start to reopen businesses in parts of New York and restore life to some semblance of normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic. Several regions could begin to reopen by this weekend.
The governor's so-called PAUSE order that closed down a majority of businesses across the state expires on Friday, May 15, 2020. The shutdown has been in effect since March 22, 2020.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has begun to outline a phased plan to reopen the state region-by-region.
Gov. Cuomo said, "We should prepare to reopen intelligently."
In the plan he details on Monday morning, Cuomo revealed 7 metrics that regions must meet in order to reopen:
1. 14-day decline in hospitalizations OR under 15 new hospitalizations (3-day average)
2. 14-day declines in hospitalized deaths OR under 5 new (3-day average)
3. New hospitalizations - under 2 per 100k residents (3-day rolling average)
4. Share of total beds available (threshold of 30%)
5. Share of ICU beds available (threshold of 30%)
6. 30 per 1k resident tested monthly (7-day average of new tests per day)
The Finger Lakes region in western New York, The Mohawk Valley in central New York, and the Southern Tier, bordering New Jersey are expected to be ready to reopen on Friday, according to the governor. They could potentially start reopening construction projects, manufacturing, and curbside pickup from retail stores. Landscaping and gardening businesses would also be able to reopen in regions that are approved.
