Governor Cuomo outlined a plan to reopen New York State that focuses on getting people back to work and easing social isolation without triggering renewed spread of the virus or overwhelming the hospital system.
New York will reopen on a regional basis as each region meets the criteria necessary to protect public health as businesses reopen. In order to reopen, each region needs to meet seven metrics. These metrics have been established based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State, and other public health experts and are continuously being updated and can be viewed at forward.ny.gov.
Businesses in each region will reopen in phases. Reopening refers to non-essential businesses and business activities. Essential businesses and business activities that are open will remain open.
Here is a breakdown of industries in each phase:
Phase One:
- Construction
- Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting
- Retail (limited to curbside or in-store pickup or drop off)
- Manufacturing
- Wholesale Trade
Phase Two:
- Professional Services
- Retail
- Administrative Support
- Real Estate/Rental & Leasing
Phase Three:
- Restaurants/Food Services
Phase Four:
- Arts/Entertainment/Recreation
- Education
NYS has provided a “Business Reopen Lookup Tool” to help determine whether or not your business is eligible to reopen and has recently released industry-specific guidance for businesses reopening within Phase One.
A Safety Plan Template and a list of FAQs can be found on the NYS Forward website regarding businesses reopening.
CDC and OSHA Safety Standards
The CDC and OSHA organizations have both released COVID-19 guidance for employers. This guidance includes information on social distancing, sanitizing/cleaning, reducing workers’ risk of exposure, continuous health screening processes and more. The CDC has also released a Workplace Decision Tool to help businesses with considerations for reopening during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
If you have any questions on reopening in NYS, please contact Caroline Organ, Director of Human Resources at 716-854-5034 or cmo@bspcpa.com.