Cuomo: Mid-Hudson Valley Cleared to Enter Phase 4 of Reopening
Global medical experts have cleared the Hudson Valley to start Phase 4 of the four-phased COVID-19 reopening.
On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced global public health experts cleared the Mid-Hudson Valley to enter Phase 4 of reopening on Tuesday. Long Island is on track to enter Phase 3 on Wednesday.
The Hudson Valley will join Western New York, the Captial Region, Central New York, the Finger Lakes, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country and the Southern Tier regions in Phase 4 of Cuomo's four-phased reopening plan.
Cuomo said the COVID-19 numbers have dropped dramatically since New York starting the reopening process on May 15.
"Our premise was you could start the reopening, but monitor the new of cases and control the number of cases," Cuomo said. "That is really great news."
Cuomo confirmed New York City enters Phase 3 on Monday, without indoor dining.
Phase 4 will allow for low-risk indoor and outdoor arts and entertainment, film and TV production, higher education and professional sports without fans. Cuomo also announced groups of up to 50 can gather in Phase 4 and places of worship can allow for up to 33 percent capacity, up from 25 percent, in Phase 4.
Low-risk outdoor arts and entertainment include outdoor zoos, botanical gardens, nature parks, grounds of historic sites and cultural institutions, outdoor museums, outdoor agritourism, local agricultural demonstrations and exhibitions; and other similar institutions/activities.
Low-risk indoor arts and entertainment include indoor museums, historical sites, aquariums, and other related institutions or activities that have been permitted to reopen.
Film and TV production encompass all activities undertaken in motion picture, music, television, and streaming productions on set, on location, or at any production or recording site.
Higher education includes but is not limited to community and junior colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, medical schools, and technical schools.
Cuomo also said they are continuing to study the impact of activities like gym, malls and movie theaters have on spreading the virus. He confirmed those businesses will not be allowed to reopen at the start of Phase 4. He said a decision on when those businesses can reopen will be announced later.
"There are reports malls, bars, certain social clubs with air conditioning, that it may not be cleansing the air of the virus and just recycling the virus, so we're studying that and as soon as we get more information we’ll make a decision," Cuomo said.