Leaders decry Phase 4 changes
Last-minute revision bars gyms, malls, movie theaters from reopening when regions reach last step in process
KINGSTON, N.Y. » An unexpected state decision to not allow gyms, malls, movie theaters and amusement parks to reopen in regions when they enter Phase 4 of New York’s reopening process amounts to a “sucker punch” to those businesses, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said Wednesday.
Both Molinaro and Ulster County Executive Pat Ryan are holding out hope, however, that an agreement can be reached that will allow the businesses, which have been closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, to reopen sooner than later.
“Speaking for myself and the other county leaders, we really are trying to get this resolved as quickly as we can,” Ryan, a Dem
ocrat, said Wednesday. “I am optimistic we’ll be able to get some resolution in place and are trying to get the businesses open safely.”
Ryan declined to suggest a timeline for the reopenings or to predict that the still-closed businesses in the region will be allowed to open July 7, the earliest date the Mid-Hudson Region can enter Phase 4.
“I don’t want to set expectations we can’t deliver,” he said. “We’re very much in discussion and trying to figure out what their (the state’s) rationale is. We feel we could safely reopen some, if not all, of those industries” in Phase 4.
Molinaro was more optimistic.
“We have until July 7 to enter Phase 4,” the Republican said. “Those industries could very well be given the green light [by then].”
The state decision to bar some reopenings at the start of Phase 4 first was reported late Tuesday by the Albany Times Union. On Wednesday, a spokesman for Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo cited recent surges of the coronavirus in states that have allowed a wide range of businesses to reopen.
“There are some things that don’t fit neatly into a phase that are going to require further study, and we’re going through that right now,” Richard Azzopardi wrote in an email. “This includes evaluating what’s going on in other states to avoid going backwards.”
Reached Wednesday at Signature Fitness on North Front Street in Uptown Kingston, owner John Perry declined to comment on the possible delay in opening but said, “We’re ready to open whenever they give us the clear.”
Both Ryan and Molinaro said they and other leaders in the Mid-Hudson Region — which includes Ulster, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan,
Putnam, Rockand and Westchester — were informed of the Phase 4 change in a phone call Tuesday night.
“What they told us yesterday was absolutely different than what was advised over the last three weeks,” Molinaro said. “... Never once did they say otherwise.”
Either the governor expected to make the change and “lied,” or he “decided very recently,” said Molinaro, who ran against Cuomo in the 2018 gubernatorial election.
Molinaro said the state is “obligated to be transparent” and should provide county leaders with the formula being used.
“You’re obligated to explain to the public what is the metric, the measurement,” he said. “... A lastminute, 30-minute phone call is not sufficient.”
At a press conference Wednesday morning, Cuomo said the state Health Department is looking at “new information every day” and is reviewing what other states are experiencing. He noted, in particular, “some reports that air conditioning may not be cleansing, just recirculating” the virus.
“As we get more information we’ll make an informed decision,” the governor said.
Molinaro said the air conditioning issue came up in the Tuesday night phone call, but “it didn’t sound legitimate, and they dropped it.”
“No one could speak with any degree of expertise, and it all sounded illogical,” he said. “At least point to the science. Every industry has an HVAC system.”
Ryan said Ulster County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith is trying to get details from state officials about air conditioning concerns.
“The good news is, as a region, we still have almost two weeks to sort this out,” he said.
In a press release Wednesday, state Sen. Sue Serino, R-Hyde Park, was highly critical of the state’s Phase 4 changes.
“New Yorkers have gone above and beyond to do their part to protect public health. Now, once again, in the dark of night, the state is rewriting the rules and making arbitrary decisions about who can open next and who cannot.” Serino said. “It’s absolutely not right, and I stand in support of the countless Hudson Valley employers and employees who are on the brink of financial ruin in calling on the state to allow these businesses to reopen as planned.
“When asked to step up and stay home, New Yorkers kept their promise,” Serino added. “Now it’s far past time for the state to keep its own promise by allowing these businesses to open as scheduled.”
Molinaro said the while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers malls to be higher-risk businesses, “you could easily argue that personal-care businesses, restaurant settings and municipal swimming pools with slides are an equal or higher risk, but the state has made a determination that they are open.”
Haircuts and outdoor seating at restaurants were included in Phase 2 of the reopening process, which the Mid-Hudson Region entered on June 9; and Phase 3, which started in the MidHudson this past Tuesday, includes indoor seating at restaurants (with capacity limits) and such personalcare services as tattooing, nail styling and massages.
Of the state’s 10 regions, all are in Phase 3 except New York City, which is in Phase 2. Four regions could enter Phase 4 as soon as Friday: the Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Finger Lakes and North Country.
Phase 4 allows an easing of restrictions on higher education and “low-risk” arts and entertainment.
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