All but one region of upstate New York will now be allowed to start the first phase of reopening the economy, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday, paving the way for communities outside New York City to transition to a new way of doing business post-COVID.
The Capital Region, which includes the city of Albany and surrounding counties, will be allowed to begin the first phase of reopening Wednesday, Cuomo said.
That means the Mid-Hudson region, which stretches from Ulster County down to Westchester County, is the last region with communities in upstate New York to still be under the state’s full lockdown order, preventing those economies from entering any limited resurgence.
The Mid-Hudson Region, Long Island, and New York City remain closed, with the former two still lacking the required decline in hospitalizations to reopen. New York City doesn’t have enough hospital beds available to qualify for the state’s reopening standards.
The other seven regions of the state — which stretch from Buffalo to Albany — have either entered the first phase of reopening, or will be allowed to start tomorrow. Construction, manufacturing, and retail curbside pickup are allowed in the first phase.
As the state’s COVID-19 curve continues on the decline, Cuomo said a handful of hospitals will pilot a program over the next two weeks to allow limited visitation. It was cut off during the COVID-19 crisis to contain the disease.
Those hospitals are mostly concentrated in New York City, but Roswell Park in Erie County and Albany Medical Center are among the few upstate facilities that will also pilot the program.
In another sign that the state is starting to loosen the reins on restrictions, Cuomo also said Tuesday that ceremonies will be allowed to celebrate Memorial Day this weekend, as long as 10 people or less are in attendance. Vehicle parades will be “encouraged,” he said.
"Local governments can make a decision that they don't want these ceremonies to happen," Cuomo said. "Vehicle parades, I think, are important, and should be encouraged,"
The number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 continued to drop Tuesday, with a total of 5,818 people requiring treatment. Of those, 1,481 were intubated as of Monday, the latest data from the state.
An additional 105 people died from the disease in New York Monday, bringing the statewide death toll to 22,843.
