Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced that five regions—Central New York, Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley, North Country and Southern Tier – will enter phase three of reopening today, June 12th. The team of global public health experts advising New York State on its reopening strategy has thoroughly reviewed the data for the five regions and cleared them to enter phase three. Phase three allows indoor restaurant and food services and personal care services to resume. Each industry is subject to specific state guidelines to maximize safety and social distancing. Business guidance for phase three of the state’s reopening plan is available here.
Long Island entered phase two of reopening this past Wednesday.
Governor Cuomo also announced that the state is allowing localities to open public pools and playgrounds at their discretion while following state guidance beginning today.
“We’ve had the most informed, science-based reopening in the country and as we continue our phased reopening the numbers continue to go down,” Governor Cuomo said. “There is now one number to watch closely and that is the daily testing number because it is a snapshot of the day before and will tell us if the infection rate is going up in any given location. We’ve been doing everything right up until now, but we have to stay smart and keep following all the necessary precautions to keep getting those numbers down.”
Finally, the Governor confirmed 736 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 380,892 confirmed cases in New York State.
