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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS UPDATE. From Assemblyman David Buchwald. June 10, 2020:

Today our portion of New York State entered Phase 2 of our reopening. This is both a good sign for our economy and is a reflection of the progress we all have made in acting safely to reduce the spread of COVID-19. As businesses and industries start to go back to work in the Mid-Hudson region, as we announced last week, my Coronavirus Update will be be shared with you on Tuesdays and Fridays.

Phase Two Reopening Underway in Westchester With the number of new COVID-19 hospitalizations down and other pandemic control benchmarks met, today Westchester County and our Mid-Hudson Region neighbors entered reopening Phase 2, an important milestone in restarting economic activity.

Phase 2 reopening includes offices, real estate activities, in-store retail, car dealerships, retail rental and repair, commercial building management, outdoor dining and hair salons and barbershops. However, as businesses and industries get back to work, there are new protocols and routines to adjust to.

One Phase 2 requirement that affects every industry is that businesses must remain at or below 50 percent capacity and individuals must social distance whenever possible. For office workers, meetings are discouraged, with tele-and video-conferencing recommended. Also recommended, staggering the arrival and departure times for employees to reduce congestion in lobbies and elevators.

Additionally, an executive order issued by the Governor allows commercial buildings to conduct temperature checks for anyone entering a building.The State of New York has published guidance documents to inform businesses and employees of the rules for the new normal. You can find these reports at: https://forward.ny.gov/phase-two-industries.

For guidance from the State on how to operate outdoor dining go to this link: https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/OutdoorTakeoutDeliveryFoodServicesMasterGuidance.pdf.Voters Get More Time to Mail School and Primary Election Ballots

Voters Get More Time to Mail School and Primary Election Ballots

Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an executive order providing voters participating in this year’s Board of Education elections and school budget votes an extra week to submit ballots by mail. The new deadline for mailed-in ballots to arrive at the school districts is 5 p.m., June 16. Governor Cuomo has also signed legislation (S.8130-D/A.10516-A) extending the deadline to submit absentee ballots until the day of the election. Therefore, to be counted, primary ballots must be postmarked by June 23, the day of the primary election. Details of the elections changes can be found here:https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-signs-legislation-extending-deadline-submit-absentee-ballots-day-election

Limited Attendance High School Graduations Will Be Allowed

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has announced that outdoor, socially distanced graduations of up to 150 people will be allowed beginning June 26, subject to any outbreaks or significant changes in the metrics for COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations in a region. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-outdoor-graduations-150-people-will-be-allowed-beginning-june-26th

Houses of Worship Can Begin to Reopen

Phase 2 now includes reopening places of worship, with attendance limited to 25% of the building’s official capacity. Social distancing protocols will have to be followed, which includes wearing masks.

Resources

Remember, the single best place to get answers to coronavirus questions is the New York State coronavirus hotline: (888) 346-3065.The Westchester County COVID-19 information service can be reached by calling 2-1-1.The New York State Mental Health Hotline is: (844) 863-9314.

You can also visit headspace.com/ny which offers a collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises to help during these stressful and challenging times.

The New York State Domestic Violence Hotline is (800) 942-6906, or you can text 844-997-2121, or click https://opdv.ny.gov/

The New York State Department of Health also regularly updates information at its coronavirus website: https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/

To locate a testing side for COVID-19, click here:  coronavirus.health.ny.gov/covid-19-testing