FROM THE GOVERNOR

Construction, Factories

Can Start Re-Opening

Editor’s Note: This is an excerpt from Governor Cuomo’s daily briefing from Sunday, April 26, outlining the plan to return to “The New Normal.”

1) Today I outlined a phased plan to safely reopen New York at the appropriate time, taking a regional approach.

Phase one will be to reopen low-risk construction and manufacturing businesses in parts of the state that have experienced a 14-day decline in the hospitalization rate.

Phase two will open certain industries based on priority and risk level. (Businesses considered “more essential” with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to the customer will
be prioritized.)

Officials are closely monitoring the hospitalization rate, the infection rate, and other key health indicators, and will make adjustments to the plan based on this crucial data.

2) There will be a two-week waiting period in-between phases of this plan to monitor the effect.
This will help ensure that the hospitalizations and infection rates are not increasing as some workers begin to return to work.

3) Businesses and industries will create plans that include new measures to
protect employees and consumers.

The physical workplace will have to be reimagined to be safer, and businesses must implement processes that lower the risk of infection. The state is consulting with local leaders in each region and industry to formulate these plans.

4) Multi-state coordination is key, especially in downstate New York, where the outbreak has been more severe.

We will work with neighboring states to ensure safe and consistent policies.

In downstate New York, special attention will be taken to ensure the safety of low-income communities.