Governor Cuomo: Western NY, Capitol Region Moves to Phase 2 Wednesday; Summer Day Camps May Open June 29

WPCNR ALBANY ROUNDS. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 2, 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced Western New York is entering phase two of reopening today. The Capital Region is still on track to enter phase two of reopening tomorrow, June 3rd, and New York City is still on track to enter phase one of reopening on June 8th.

Governor Cuomo also announced that summer day camps statewide can open on June 29th. The state will make a decision on sleep-away camps in the coming weeks.

Governor Cuomo also issued an Executive Order allowing low-risk, outdoor recreational activities and businesses providing such activities to open in regions that have met the public health and safety metrics required for phase one.

“Today is day 94 of the COVID-19 pandemic and if you look at the progress we have made in New York, it’s breathtaking how far and how fast we’ve come,” Governor Cuomo said. “We have more good news today – the number of hospitalizations is down, the number of new COVID cases walking in the door is at an all-time low and the number of deaths is just about as low as we have seen it. As the numbers continue to decline, Western New York is now ready to begin phase two of reopening, and the Capital Region remains on track to open for phase two tomorrow.”

Dr. Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, said, “As the next two regions in New York State have been given the green light to begin to move from phase 1 to phase 2 the State’s new early warning dashboard will help to mitigate any problems that arise. It is critical to continue to move forward based on data and New York State is doing just that.”

Dr. Samir Bhatt, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Geostatistics, The Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Imperial College London, said, “As the Western New York and Capital regions begin to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2, the State’s metrics provide a comprehensive view for tracking and controlling the disease. We will continue to monitor these data closely in order to make sure the next phase is implemented in a manner that balances public health and economic activity.”

The Governor also confirmed 1,329 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 373,040 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 373,040 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

CountyTotal PositiveNew Positive
Albany1,90018
Allegany480
Broome5784
Cattaraugus890
Cayuga931
Chautauqua861
Chemung1370
Chenango1330
Clinton971
Columbia3912
Cortland410
Delaware821
Dutchess3,93612
Erie6,17350
Essex381
Franklin230
Fulton2122
Genesee2020
Greene2412
Hamilton50
Herkimer1112
Jefferson740
Lewis200
Livingston1190
Madison3171
Monroe2,98925
Montgomery932
Nassau40,57293
Niagara1,0482
NYC204,377613
Oneida1,04913
Onondaga2,22831
Ontario2091
Orange10,44927
Orleans2415
Oswego1100
Otsego731
Putnam1,2625
Rensselaer4931
Rockland13,22338
Saratoga4841
Schenectady6963
Schoharie511
Schuyler121
Seneca590
St. Lawrence2050
Steuben2421
Suffolk39,980275
Sullivan1,3923
Tioga1311
Tompkins1640
Ulster1,6965
Warren2550
Washington2372
Wayne1160
Westchester33,63381
Wyoming860
Yates390
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County Announces “Reopening Task Force” Parker the Boss.

WPCNR COUNTY CLARION-LEDGER. From the Westchester County Department of Communications. June 1, 2030:

Westchester County Executive George Latimer announced today the formation of the Westchester County Reopening Task Force – a group charged with working to find solutions to advance the interests of local businesses in a post-coronavirus economy.

Latimer said: “What we have here is a group of individuals who have served in a variety of capacities, to serve in this particular capacity, to help organize our efforts to reach out to the businesses of Westchester County and do everything we can to help them reopen as fast as possible and as successfully as possible.”

This task force will provide guidance to the County as it works through the four phases of reopening and help ensure that businesses in each phase have what they need to reopen safely and successfully.

The task force is co-chaired by Westchester County Legislator Catherine Parker, a former small business owner and past President, Rye Chamber of Commerce, and Louis Lanza, a restaurateur with businesses in Westchester County. Both bring deep expertise and broad connections which will enable the task force to maximize its impact.

Parker said: “I see this reopening task force as a unified voice for all different sectors of business in Westchester County with the ‘rock stars’ of those sectors. This will be a way to get Westchester back to where we were – and even better than before.”

Lanza said: “Restaurants are working ahead of the curve in getting ready everything they will need to do to open. We can do this safely. There are safe ways of running our businesses and once we get the go ahead, we can safely reopen and serve our customers.”

Westchester County Board of Legislators Chairman Ben Boykin said: “This is an important challenge. We are in a place we have never been before and we must reopen in a more vibrant and smarter way so businesses can survive, grow and move to the next level.”

The task force will play a significant role in communicating out to the business and nonprofit communities, their colleagues and the organizations that they lead about guidelines and best practices as our region enters each stage of phased reopening. The task force will also establish working groups that will focus on each critical area such as health care, labor, hospitality, general business, etc.  These working groups will allow for all Westchester business owners to have an opportunity to give input.

The first meeting of the Reopening Task Force will take place this Thursday at 10:00am via Webex and it anticipates meeting virtually going forward.

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New Coronavirus Testing Site at Calvary Baptist Church Mayor Announces.


New York State has established a temporary testing site for White Plains residents at Calvary Baptist Church. Parking is available in the church parking lot off of Post Road. Testing will be conducted this week only, Monday through Friday, 11:00 am to 5:00 pm and is free.

Both diagnostic and antibody testing are available, though not on the same day. You must make an appointment in order to be tested. Call 1-833-422-7369 to schedule an appointment and for any other questions you may have.

The most recent data provided by the county today indicates the cumulative number of people who have tested positive in White Plains since testing began is 1,743.

5 regions of the State (North Country, Finger Lakes, Central NY, Mohawk Valley, and Southern tier) have advanced to Phase 2 of reopening, with Western New York and the Capital District regions expected to follow on Wednesday.

We are scheduled to join them on June 8th as long as the Covid-19 data continues on the positive track we have established.

Phase 2, among other things, means haircuts and walk-in retail. Compliance levels in White Plains continue to be excellent overall, but I do want to remind everyone that masks are required inside public establishments and outside when it is likely you will be within 6 feet of others such as on the sidewalk or while on the running tracks.

The county estimates the number of active cases in White Plains to be 41. NYS makes additional statewide and county-by-county data available at covid19tracker.health.ny.gov.

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CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS HAD BETTER SLEEP TONIGHT —-11 PM CURFEW IMPOSED ON NYC TONIGHT

WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office. June 1. 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and Mayor de Blasio today announced a citywide curfew in New York City will take effect beginning at 11 PM tonight and will be lifted at 5 AM tomorrow morning.

The Governor and the Mayor also announced that the New York City Police Department will double its police presence to help prevent violence and property damage. The additional officers will be deployed to areas where violence and property damage occurred during last night’s protests – specifically in lower Manhattan and Downtown Brooklyn.

The Governor and the Mayor also reminded New Yorkers participating in protests to take proper health precautions and wear face coverings while we continue to fight the COVID-19 virus.

“I stand behind the protestors and their message, but unfortunately there are people who are looking to distract and discredit this moment,” Governor Cuomo said. 

“The violence and the looting has been bad for the city, the state and this entire national movement, undermining and distracting from this righteous cause. While we encourage people to protest peacefully and make their voices heard, the safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised. 

Tonight the Mayor and I are implementing a citywide curfew starting at 11 PM and doubling the NYPD presence across the city.”

“I support and protect peaceful protest in this city. The demonstrations we’ve seen have been generally peaceful. We can’t let violence undermine the message of this moment. It is too important and the message must be heard. Tonight, to protect against violence and property damage, the Governor and I have decided to implement a citywide curfew,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. 

“The Police Commissioner and I have spoken at length about the incidents we’ve all seen in recent days where officers didn’t uphold the values of this city or the NYPD. We agree on the need for swift action. He will speak later today on how officers will be held accountable.”

The Governor in a letter tonight said: ” Mayor de Blasio and I spoke today and agreed to implement the curfew. In addition, the NYPD will double its presence to help prevent violence and property damage. While we encourage people to protest peacefully, unfortunately, there are those who have exploited the protests as a cover for criminal activities. The safety of the general public is paramount and cannot be compromised.

2. Be aware of the risk of COVID-19 at protests. The Health Commissioner and I are concerned that the large protests may increase the spread of COVID-19. While the right to protest peacefully is sacrosanct, I nevertheless urge all protesters to take precautions like wearing a mask or face covering if participating in a protest. It would be terrible for the progress we have made on this virus to be undone.

 3. Two regions are expected to enter Phase 2 of reopening this week. Tomorrow Western New York is expected to enter Phase 2, followed by the Capital Region on Wednesday, June 3, pending a review of regional data by global public health experts. 

4. We have the lowest rate of positive test results since the pandemic began. Yesterday the state performed 50,000 tests and only 941 people, or 2%, were positive. That is the lowest number yet of positive cases.

 5. The total number of COVID hospitalizations is steadily declining. Total hospitalizations fell to 3,331, from 3,436 the day before. Yesterday, we had 183 new COVID hospitalizations. Sadly, 54 New Yorkers died of the virus — the lowest number since March.  

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