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At his daily COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, June 11 in Albany, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, Southern Tier, and North Country are all cleared to enter Phase 3 as of Friday, June 12.
Cuomo said that the state has reviewed the data, and global experts have also given the green light to reopen after going through the data.
“Sometimes you have to look at the underlying numbers or tests, and you can see something (suspect),” Cuomo said. “We have the best experts in the world … the best experts you could possibly have, reviewing this and they’ve done that so those five regions will enter Phase 3 tomorrow.”
In Phase 3, indoor dining would again be permitted, as well as personal care services such as nail salons and tattoo parlors, though all businesses will be under strict restrictions.
Though New Yorkers are beginning to settle into the “new normal,’ Cuomo cautioned that it’s important to continue reopening meticulously, otherwise New York faces the same pitfalls as other states that opened up and almost immediately saw a spike in cases.
“I know businesses are anxious to open up. Everyone is anxious to get the economy back open,” he said. “But please follow the guidelines and do what is permissible to do. People are wary right now of businesses that are violating operating rules.
“Our reopening is different than (other states’) reopening. Ours is based on the numbers and is phased,” Cuomo continued. “New Yorkers have been smart and diligent and informed in this state. They know what’s going on and they know how to stop the spread.”
Additionally, Cuomo said that public pools and playgrounds are now permitted to open up, though it will be at the discretion of local government officials to make that determination.
“Local governments will have to use their judgment here,” he said. “They have the test at a and should be studying it. We can see where the positive (COVID-19) cases are coming from, so if you’re in a (hot spot) neighborhood, don’t open the pools.
"I understand everyone wants to swim, but everyone also doesn’t want to see a spike in COVID again.”
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