45°
County Executive Marcus Molinaro said during an online Town Hall with Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, on Wednesday, May 6, the process "could" begin the week of Monday, May 18.
Friday, May 15 is the current last day of "NY Pause," said Spokeswoman Colleen Pillus. The earliest date reopening could possibly occur is Saturday, May 16.
In order to make the reopening smooth, Molinaro is working with each town and city within the district to make sure all are on the same page, as well as with officials from neighboring counties including Orange, Ulster, Putnam, Columbia, Sullivan, and Greene.
One of the main focuses of the group was to meet the seven requirements set by Gov. Andrew Cuomo that includes hospitalization rates, deaths, available hospital beds, and the number of contact tracers, perhaps one of the hardest to accomplish.
Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is heading the state's effort to hire enough people to track down people who have been in contact with people who contracted COVID-19.
Molinaro said Dutchess is still working to reduce the number of residents hospitalized, with 68 currently hospitalized, one of the lowest in the region, and up the number of contract tracers, the county currently has 90.
Other topics included Molinaro's effort to provide services over the summer for those with special needs.
Molinaro sent a letter to Cuomo imploring the state to provide special education services throughout the summer to ensure these students receive the critical support they need to enhance their lives.
The county executive is also focusing on getting summer camps up and running for all students by July 1, as many serve as daycare for working parents.
Daily updates on issues affecting county residents can be found on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northwest Dutchess and receive free news updates.
