Mid-Hudson reopening begins
If the area’s gradual reopening that started on Tuesday goes well, the Mid-Hudson Region could be ready to begin Phase 2 within two weeks, Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan said.
At the same time, though, Ryan warned that if data shows problems with the region’s reopening, then that process could be reassessed.
“Phase 2 businesses are not open yet but if things continue to go well, would likely open in two weeks’ time from today, so early June,” Ryan said Tuesday during a briefing shown live on Facebook. Phase 2 includes all professional services, retail, administrative support, and real estate rental and leasing, he said.
The Mid-Hudson Region on Tuesday began Phase 1 of its four-phase reopening plan to recover from the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Under Phase 1, construction, agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, manufacturing, and wholesale trade businesses were allowed to reopen, and retail stores are now able to provide curbside or in-store pickup
or drop-off.
Ulster County is grouped with Dutchess, Sullivan, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties for the purposes of reopening businesses, following Gov. Andrew Cuomo issuing his “New York on Pause” order.
Phase 3 includes restaurants and other food services, while Phase 4 includes arts, entertainment, and recreation, as well as education.
“That’s the pathway that’s ahead of us,” Ryan said. “We are on just the first step of that pathway.” He said he believes with all the planning and work that has been done so far that Ulster’s businesses are ready to reopen safely.
So long as everyone continues to do their part, the region will continue to make progress, Ryan added. He said regional leaders will continue to monitor the MidHudson’s progress and look at the relevant data every day.
“If we begin to see indicators that things aren’t going well, if we start to see our certain numbers of positive cases go up, or we see testing go way down, or we get a lot of reports of individuals not following the guidance in terms of personal responsibility, then we’re going to have to reassess that,” Ryan
said. “Which is, again, not what anybody wants to do.”
Ryan stressed that businesses and individuals each have a role to play in the region’s continued reopening. He said individuals must double-down on continuing to follow social distancing guidelines and wearing a mask in public, as well as washing or sanitizing their hands.
“It’s only going to work if everybody is bought in and understands the interconnectivity of just even your dayto-day routine and how many people your decisions can impact,” Ryan said.
In his own daily briefing, Cuomo emphasized the importance of people continuing to wear a mask in public and follow social distancing guidelines.
“Statewide, we all have to remain smart,” Cuomo said. He said wearing a mask “is now cool” and people should make it part of their everyday outfits. Wearing a mask should become part of the state’s culture, Cuomo added.
As for businesses, Ryan said there are five steps each of them must complete in order to be eligible to reopen. He said the steps must also be completed by essential businesses that have been operating throughout the pandemic.
Ryan said the first step for any business is to determine what phase of reopening they
are in, while the second step is to read the specific safety guidelines for their industry that are provided by the state. He said there are resources available to help businesses determine what phase they are in, including the county’s website at https://ulstercountyny.gov and its Office of Economic Development.
The third step is the creation of individual business safety plans, Ryan said. He said there are templates businesses can use and the county is willing to help them complete their plans. Ryan added that the business plan must be posted where employees and customers can see it.
Ryan said the fourth step is for business owners to fill out an affirmation for the state that confirms they have created and posted their safety plan.
“I will say, every business that completes that affirmation, we do get that report here at the county level and we have that list now,” Ryan said. He said there are approximately 7,000 businesses in Ulster County, not all of which are part of Phase 1. Still, less than 100 affirmations had been received as of Monday, Ryan said.
The fifth step is to fill out a two-question survey for the county, Ryan said. He said that asks if a business has completed its safety plan and also asks for information on how the county itself can assist
the business.
Ryan said the state and county have tried to make the reopening process as “lightweight” and easy as possible.
As part of his briefing, Ryan said the county has had a total of 1,683 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Of those, he said, 1,024 had recovered and 586 were still active. Ryan said 73 Ulster County residents have died from the coronavirus.
Ryan also said 10 county residents are currently hospitalized as a result of COVID-19 and two of those are in the intensive care unit on ventilators.
As part of the region’s reopening, Ryan also urged residents who are going back to work to get tested for the coronavirus. He said requirements for the testing have been loosened and most residents can obtain a test at one of the county’s four testing sites.
Testing is available through the county at a parking lot at TechCity in the town of Ulster, outside Ellenville Regional Hospital, and in a parking lot on Grand Street in Midtown Kingston. Additionally, local Rite-Aid stores, including the one at 351 Flatbush Ave. in Kingston, are offering free coronavirus tests.
••• On Tuesday, Dutchess County reported it had
3,825 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which 1,559 were listed as active and 2,128 were recovered. There had been 138 deaths in Dutchess County as a result of the coronavirus.
Greene County reported it had 279 confirmed cases as of Tuesday afternoon, of which 28 were active, 251 were “resolved,” and 18 had resulted in death.
Columbia County reported 381 confirmed cases, of which 145 were active, 204 were recovered, and 32 had resulted in death.
Orange County had 10,414 confirmed cases of COVID-19, of which there had been 439 deaths, while Sullivan County reported 1,318 confirmed cases, of which 266 were active and 29 had resulted in death.
Statewide, there have been more than 360,000 confirmed cases.
••• On Wednesday, May 27, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro will hold the latest in his series of COVID-19 “Telephone Town Halls,” which will be shown live on the county government’s Facebook page. During the town hall, which begins at 5:30 p.m., Molinaro will provide updates on the county’s “Restarting Dutchess” efforts and its Dutchess Responds progress. He will also answer participants’ questions.
Residents can participate in the town hall by calling (845) 765-7121 or by asking questions via Facebook comments.
•••
On Tuesday, the state Unified Court System announced in a press release the phasedin return of judges and staff to courthouses in nine more counties that have met the state’s established safety benchmarks, including Ulster and Dutchess. Beginning Wednesday, May 27, courts will gradually resume in-person operations in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, and Westchester counties, followed by Ulster and Sullivan counties the following day.
•••
Also on Tuesday, U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced in press releases that New York’s skilled nursing facilities would receive $394,092,500 out of a nationwide pot of $4,873,305. The Democratic senators from New York said the funding would go towards at least 831 nursing facilities, some of which are the state’s most vulnerable, frontline healthcare facilities. The funding will be allocated by federal Health and Human Services, which would make distributions to nursing homes based on both a fixed basis and variable basis, according to the press release.