The opening of restaurants and bars for tableside service in the Hudson Valley is still many weeks away.

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Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced regions can start to reopen on May 15 if a number of guidelines are met.

There are seven metrics that state officials are assessing before allowing a region to reopen. Cuomo said based on CDC recommendations, regions must experience a 14-day decline in hospitalizations and deaths on a 3-day rolling average. Regions with few COVID cases cannot exceed 15 new total cases or 5 new deaths on a 3-day rolling average. A region must have fewer than two new COVID patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day.

Once a region meets the criteria to reopen businesses will reopen in four phases. Each phase will last two weeks.

Live Updates: Coronavirus in the Hudson Valley

Phase 1 includes construction, manufacturing, and select retail with curbside pick-up. Phase 2 retail, real estate, and finance. Phase 3 will allow restaurants and hotels to reopen. Phase 4 includes entertainment venues and schools.  Gov. Andrew Cuomo previously said each phase will last two weeks.

On Sunday, Cuomo confirmed there will be regions that will be eligible to reopen on May 15. However, the Hudson Valley isn't expected to be eligible on May 15.

Dutchess County Executive says the region is tracking in the right direction and believes a reopening around May 20 is possible.

 

Phase 3 includes bars and restaurants reopening at limited capacity. Phase 3 won't start until at least four weeks after Phase 1, according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz. 

So, if the Hudson Valley were to start reopening on May 20, the earliest restaurants and bars could open is June 20. If the Hudson Valley enters Phase 1 in June, Phase 3 won't start until July, and so on.

Update: On Monday, Cuomo said moving from one phase to the next "will be determined by the facts and the numbers as we go along." However, later on Monday officials released the New York Forward place which states "each region will reopen businesses in phases, with at least two weeks in between each phase."

The reopening process will stop if a region starts to see a spike in COVID-19 cases. If the rate of transmission of the virus goes above 1.1 you must stop the reopening process, according to Cuomo.

 

Cuomo's New York Forward plan splits the state up into 10 regions. Orange, Dutchess, Ulster, Putnam, Sullivan, Westchester and Rockland counties are placed in the "Mid-Hudson" region.

New York's Phased Reopening Tops This Week's Hudson Valley News

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