READY, SET, SHOP!
Malls in region can reopen Friday, must comply with ventilation rules
Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro and the owner of the Poughkeepsie Galleria on Wednesday applauded Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s announcement that shopping malls can start doing business again Friday in regions of New York that are in Phase 4 of the coronavirus reopening process.
The Mid-Hudson Region entered Phase 4 on Tuesday.
At a press briefing Wednesday, Cuomo said malls, which were closed in mid-March in response to the spread of the virus, will be allowed to reopen “with enhanced HVAC systems” in accordance with ventilation protocols established by the state Health Department.
Stephen J. Congel, chief executive officer of the Poughkeepsie Galleria’s parent company, Pyramid Management Group, said Wednesday afternoon that Cuomo’s announcement is “great news for Pyramid’s tenants, their employees, our own employees, and all of the people living in the communities where our properties are located.”
Pyramid also operates the Crossgates and Crossgates Commons malls in Albany and the Galleria at Crystal Run near
Middletown.
“With proper precautions in place and health and safety a top priority, we look forward to restoring our centers to their dominant positions as the economic drivers of their respective regions,” Congel said in a press release.
Hull Property Group, the Georgia company that owns Hudson Valley Mall in the town of Ulster, did not respond to a reporter’s request for comment Wednesday.
Mall closures have been an issue since midJune when, as the first of the state’s 10 regions were about to enter Phase 4, the state abruptly barred the shopping centers from reopening, along with gyms, movie theaters and amusement parks. All of those businesses were included at the start of Phase 4 when the state first announced its guidelines for reopening.
Molinaro said Wednesday that there has been no word from the state about when movie theaters, gyms and amusement parks will be allowed to operate again, and Cuomo did not mention them at his briefing.
While applauding the reopening malls, Molinaro cautioned local residents to remain vigilant as we “loosen up” — by adhering to social-distancing protocols, washing and sanitizing hands, and using face coverings.
In late June, Cuomo said that “any malls that will open in New York, large malls, we will make it mandatory that they have an air-filtration system that can filter out the COVID virus. There are air ventilation devices that can actually help with the COVID virus, and NASA has studied these.”
On Wednesday he said malls will be expected to install “MERV-13, but no less than MERV-11 filters” on ventilation systems. (MERV stands for “minimum efficiency reporting value.” Filters with the higher MERV numbers capture more particles.)
In June, Cuomo said the state was recommending that other businesses in New York, including offices, also explore installing enhanced filtration systems.
In a statement early Wednesday, before Cuomo spoke, Pyramid said Poughkeepsie Galleria tenants had “taken extensive measures to ensure the safety of shoppers and workers.”
Those steps include enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, “proactive touchless disinfecting,” face masks required to be worn by all customers, hand sanitizer stations, curbside pickup options, and “social distancing prompts and signage,” the company said.
College’s plans
Columbia-Greene Community College on Wednesday released its campus reopening plan, an 11-page document that outlines protocols for the fall 2020 semester, including social-distancing requirements, disinfecting procedures and class sizes.
The college has conducted all courses online and remotely since March. The fall semester, slated to begin on Sept. 8, will include online, remote and face-to-face instruction, according to a press release.
Until further notice, in-person events and meetings will not occur at the college, which is in Greenport, and only essential employees will work on campus, doing so on rotating schedules.