Major advances this week in re-opening plans
by Dan McClelland
This week has seen some major advances in the state's four-phase plan at re-opening in the North Country region.
On Friday this area entered phase 3 which allowed restaurants and bars to begin inside dining. Restaurants, however, must limit indoor capacity to no more than 50% of normal, maximum occupancy, not counting employees.
Outdoor dining which the Governor allowed on June 4 as part of phase 2 is still limited to the number of tables that can be safely arranged six feet apart.
Some restaurant owners are hoping the outdoor dining will make up some of the lost revenues that reducing the capacity inside will cause.
Governor Cuomo this week also issued strong warnings that restaurants and bars that do not adhere to safety rules run the risk of losing their liquor licenses, which will be a death knell for them.
Restaurant and bar employees must wear face coverings at all times and customers must wear them too, except when seated.
The phase 3 openings also apply to many personal services businesses including tattoo and piercing facilities, massage parlors, spas, tanning businesses, cosmetology, nail specialties and waxing salons.
All guidelines can be found at forward.ny.gov.
Garage sales and yard sales can now resume providing proper social distancing is observed and masks worn when that cannot be achieved, according to the North Country Chamber of Commerce.
Last Thursday the Governor announced public playgrounds could re-open and village officials here immediately removed cautionary tape from around the two here.
In a press conference Sunday the Governor announced some youth sports can begin again on July 6 but players can only bring two spectators to their games.
The six “low-risk sports,” in the Governor's words, include baseball, softball, gymnastics, field hockey and cross country and crew.
In the North Country region of six counties statistics of coronavirus cases and those who have recovered as of yesterday area as follows: Clinton County, 105 positive cases, 101 people who have recovered; Essex County, 56 positive cases, 52 people who have recovered; Franklin County, 119, 117; Jefferson County, 80, 73; Lewis County, 27, 26; St. Lawrence County, 214 positive cases of which 204 people have recovered.
The Governor announced yesterday that gatherings will now be allowed to have 25 people, up from 10.
The reason for the relaxation of restrictions this week is directly tied to New York State's progress in bringing down the numbers of people with the disease, the deaths that are occurring and the number of hospitalizations occurring.
Twenty-five people died in New York State of COVID-19 Sunday and hospitalizations across the state were down to 1,608. Both numbers represent dramatic reductions for past days and weeks and the lowest numbers since March 20.