Mid-Hudson Region to Enter Phase Two

Earlier today, Governor Cuomo confirmed that the Mid-Hudson Region, which includes Westchester County, will enter Phase Two of the NY Forward Reopening Plan tomorrow, June 9th. The Mid-Hudson Region has maintained all of the required benchmarks related to slowing the spread of COVID-19. In this email, I have included details related to which businesses may reopen and which activities may resume once we enter Phase Two, as well as updates on the number of COVID-19 cases in our community. For further details on the NY Forward Reopening plan, please check the NY Forward website and read through the NY Forward Guide Book.

Phase Two Permitted Businesses and Activities 

For additional details and guidelines, please look at the NY Forward Phase Two Industries Page

Pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Orders, the following businesses remain closed:

• Malls; specifically, any indoor common portions of retail shopping malls with 100,000 or more square feet of retail space available for lease must remain closed to the public; however, any stores without their own external entrance(s) may operate via curbside pickup in Phase 1 and 2 providing purchased items to customers at or near the general mall entrance and any stores with their own external entrance(s) separate from the general mall entrance (e.g. strip malls, anchor tenants), may open for curbside and in-store pickup in Phase 1 and all in-store retail activities in Phase 2;
• Indoor on-premise restaurant and bar service, excluding take-out or delivery for off-premise consumption in Phase 1 and outdoor on-premise restaurant and bar service in Phase 2;
• Large gathering/event venues, including but not limited to establishments that host concerts, conferences, or other in-person performances or presentations in front of an in-person audience;
• Gyms, fitness centers, and exercise classes, except for remote or streaming services;
• Video lottery and casino gaming facilities;
• Movie theaters, except drive-ins; and
• Places of public amusement, whether indoors or outdoors, including but not limited to, locations with amusement rides, carnivals, amusement parks, water parks, aquariums, zoos, arcades, fairs, children’s play centers, funplexes, theme parks, bowling alleys, family and children’s attractions.

For help determining whether or not your business is eligible to reopen, use the reopen lookup tool. 

Partial Guidelines for Industries Reopening in Phase Two:

• Phase Two: Hair Salons and Barbershops
  • Limit the workforce and customer presence to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy. 
  • Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance (e.g. haircut).
  • Ensure that customer seating allows customers to maintain 6 ft. distance from all others except for the employee providing services, unless a physical barrier is in place.
  • Waiting rooms must be closed and lines should be avoided, to the extent possible. Walk-in customers who are not able to be immediately served should be provided a time to return.
  • Employers must provide employees with an acceptable face covering at no-cost to the employee and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of need for replacement.
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.
• Phase Two: Outdoor and Take-Out/Delivery Food Services
  • In outdoor spaces, all tables with seats must be at least 6 ft. from any other table, seat, patron, or pedestrian thoroughfare or corridor. 
  • Ensure an indoor capacity to accommodate patrons who may need to enter/exit through the indoor space to access the outdoor seating, restroom(s), or payment location, and allow such access/egress in a socially distanced manner. 
  • Close indoor dining and seating areas to customers. 
  • Employees must wear face coverings at all times. 
  • Patrons must wear face coverings at all times, except while seated; provided that the patron is over the age of two and able to medically tolerate one.
  • Provide workers with an acceptable face covering at no cost to the employees and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of need for replacement.
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.
• Phase Two: Offices
  • In Phase II, offices must limit the total number of occupants at any given time to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
  • A distance of at least 6 ft. must be maintained amongst all individuals at all times, unless safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.
  • Any time workers or visitors must come within 6 ft. of another person, acceptable face coverings must be worn (ensuring that mouth and nose are covered).
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.
• Phase Two: Real Estate
  • Ensure that workforce (e.g. salespeople, workers, subcontractors, and vendors) and customer presence total occupancy is limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy.
  • Showings are only allowed in unoccupied or vacant properties (e.g. current owner or lessee is not inside the property). 
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
• Phase Two: In-Store Retail
  • Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless safety or core function of the work activity requires a shorter distance.
  • Tightly confined spaces (e.g. elevators, small stock rooms, behind cash registers, narrow merchandise aisles) should be occupied by only one individual at a time, unless all individuals are wearing face coverings. If occupied by more than one person, keep occupancy under 50% of maximum capacity.
  • Employers must provide employees with an acceptable face covering at no-cost to the employee and have an adequate supply of coverings in case of replacement.
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.
• Phase Two: Vehicle Sales, Leases, and Rentals
  • Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless the safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.
  • For any vehicle sale, lease, or rental activity, the workforce and customer presence must be limited to 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area as set by the certificate of occupancy, inclusive of customers, who must maintain 6 ft. of space from others and, in all cases, wear an acceptable face covering.
  • Ensure that each customer entering the store is wearing a face covering, provided that the customer is over the age of two and able to medically tolerate wearing such covering
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.
• Phase Two: Rental, Repair, and Cleaning
  • Ensure 6 ft. distance between individuals, unless the safety of the core activity requires a shorter distance.
  • The workforce and customer presence must be limited to no more than 50% of the maximum occupancy for a particular area set by the certificate of occupancy, inclusive of customers, who must maintain 6 ft. of space from others and, in all cases, wear an acceptable face covering.
  • Ensure that each customer entering the retail store is wearing an acceptable face covering, provided that the customer is over the age of two and able to medically tolerate such covering.
  • Adhere to hygiene, cleaning, and disinfection requirements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Department of Health (DOH) and maintain cleaning logs on site that document date, time, and scope of cleaning.
  • Cleaning and disinfecting of the retail location, shared surfaces, and other areas, as well as equipment, should be performed using Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) products identified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as effective against COVID-19.

COVID-19 Information and Updates

In the following table, I have included statistics related to COVID-19 case numbers in the municipalities in Assembly District 88. In the towns, villages, and cities in the 88th Assembly District – Eastchester, Bronxville, Tuckahoe, Pelham, Pelham Manor, Scarsdale, White Plains, and New Rochelle – the number of active cases, which are confirmed cases where the individual has not recovered or is presumed to still be contagious, stands at 118, down from 132 active cases one week ago. In the municipalities in the 88th District, the cumulative number of confirmed COVID-19 cases stands at 5,944, an increase of 76 from the 5,868 confirmed cases one week ago.

How to Get Tested for COVID-19

Testing is free to all New Yorkers who have been directed by a health care provider or who have made an appointment through the New York State COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065. New York State has added a new Find a Test Site Near You tool that allows you to search for testing facilities in your area.

• https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/find-test-site-near-you

Important Links and Phone Numbers

• New York State Coronavirus Hotline: 1-888-364-3065.
• For updates throughout the day, please check: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.
• For local information, please visit the Westchester County Department of Health’s website at: https://health.westchestergov.com/2019-novel-coronavirus.
• If you have questions, you should call your primary care physician, the state coronavirus hotline, or 211.
• If you are under self-quarantine or were exposed to a known case, call (866) 588-0195