Westchester County Begins Opening Phase 1 Businesses

WHITE PLAINS, NY — On the first day of the first phase of reopening the Mid-Hudson Valley, Westchester County Executive George Latimer outlined what businesses will be required to do so the region can progress to the next level of reopening. Westchester is joined in reopening by Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Sullivan, Ulster and Dutchess counties.

Under the Phase One guidelines, the following businesses are allowed to reopen: construction, retail (limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop off), manufacturing, wholesale trade and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.

"I believe we are going to go through Phase One effectively," Latimer said, adding that the mission to make sure the contagion doesn't spread.

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The types of retail that will be allowed to provide delivery, curbside and in-store pickup service include clothing stores, electronics stores, home furnishing stores, florists, jewelry stores, lawn and garden equipment stores and office supply stores.

The seven-county region met the metrics established based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State and other public health experts.

They are decline in total hospitalizations, decline in deaths, new hospitalizations, hospital bed capacity, ICU bed capacity, diagnostic testing capacity and contact tracing capacity.

Bridget Gibbons, the county's director of economic development, said to reopen businesses had to document a detailed plan for a safe reopening and read the detailed guidance provided by the state and submit an affirmation.

She said that employers must provide personal protective equipment to employees at no cost and post social distancing markers at construction sites.

Gibbons said that businesses should prohibit nonessential people and limit the sharing of objects such as tools and cash registers. They must also keep a log of everyone who visits the business so that it can be used for contact tracing. A log containing screening of employees should be maintained that documents whether they've been exposed to the new coronavirus or are symptomatic or feeling ill. Employers have the option of taking the employees' temperature.

Latimer said as of Tuesday there were 33,049 residents who tested positive for the virus. There are currently only 1,665 active cases of COVID-19.

"It's important to see that number as a critical number," he said. "Many people have had COVID and gotten through it."

At the peak period, the county had more than 11,000 active cases and was dealing with a significant number of people who were sick.

"We managed to deal with the spike," Latimer said.

There are 329 people hospitalized with the disease, he said.

The number of fatalities since the first of March is now 1,343, Latimer said, adding that the number of lives lost each day has come down significantly.

Fourteen percent of the county's population have been tested for the virus. The total number is 141,483, Latimer said.

The county has also identified 1,991 individuals to be contact tracers.

Here is a map showing the latest numbers of confirmed and active cases of the new coronavirus.

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