In yesterday’s press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo said hospitals and group homes will be allowed to have visitors enter their facilities. The facilities must still follow social distancing guidelines, and it is up to the discretion of the facility to determine if visitations will be allowed. The facilities must notify the state they intended to allow visitors prior to allowing visitations.
Governor Cuomo also clarified that nursing homes are not included in the group home decision. The state is currently studying data from the hospital pilot program, and a determination on what restrictions can be eased on nursing homes will be made at a later date.
The state has officially prohibited overnight children’s camps from operating this season in New York State. The statement from the State Health Commissioner can be found HERE.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is holding his daily news conference Tuesday as the state pushes further into reopening and protests over the killing of George Floyd in police custody continue to draw thousands of people together in cities across the U.S.
On Monday, Cuomo updated guidance for the state’s phase three reopening, allowing gatherings of up to 25 people. Cuomo said the state, which has seen a decline in infections, is now concerned that people will travel to the state from areas with increasing case numbers.close dialogThe top moments in business and politics – wrapped with exclusive color and context – right in your ears
New York state reported its lowest level of hospitalizations and lowest number of deaths on a three-day average since mid-March when the Covid-19 outbreak began. However, Cuomo said his office has received over 25,000 complaints from New Yorkers concerned about crowds gathering at restaurants and bars.
The coronavirus has infected more than 383,900 people in New York and more than 2.11 million people in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Dr. Anthony Fauci says he is concerned about the rise in hospitalizations due to the Covid-19 coronavirus and think that it will make some states rethink their reopening timelines.
The state has released interim guidance for special education services during COVID-19. That guidance can be found HERE.
In today’s (Monday) press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo said gatherings of up to 25 individuals will be allowed beginning in Phase Three.
Governor Cuomo also reiterated that if restaurants and bars do not follow the social distancing regulations, their liquor license can be revoked. He also called on local officials to fully enforce the social distancing regulations after complaints of both individuals and businesses ignoring the regulations were made to the state.
Dutchess County Clerk Brad Kendall has officially opened the DMV in Poughkeepsie by appointment only. This is the only DMV office currently open in Dutchess County. More information can be found on the County’s website HERE.
The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, Division of Energy Employees Occupational Illness Compensation (DEEOIC) will host a webinar with DEEOIC Director Rachel Pond and Deputy Director Doug Pennington. They will discuss a number of recent actions and initiatives. You can register for the webinar HERE.
The state has announced that low-risk youth sports can resume, beginning July 6th, as long as the region is in Phase 3 of reopening. Guidance on what classifies as a “low-risk youth sport” has not yet been issued.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.
County Executive Highlighted Fiscal Impact of COVID-19, Dashboard Data Changes and More
Poughkeepsie, NY… Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro hosted his most recent online COVID-19 Town Hall and Tele-Town Hall Wednesday evening, providing the latest updates about the local impact of the pandemic and Dutchess County’s response.
Thousands of residents called into the conversation, and even more viewed the event on the County’s Facebook page as the County Executive informed residents and answered their questions. The full online discussion can be viewed on Dutchess County Government’s YouTube page.
Highlights from Wednesday evening’s Town Hall discussion included:
• An update on the fiscal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Dutchess County Government, which includes a projected sales tax revenue decline of $20-50 million in 2020. Sales tax accounts for 41 percent of the County’s 2020 budget, County Executive Molinaro said, and three of the sales tax payments Dutchess County has received from New York State in 2020, reflecting sales tax revenues since March 1st, have been lower than 2019. In the wake of a projected $40-80 million revenue loss, Dutchess County Government has offered its workforce a voluntary furlough program, which 66 employees across various departments have volunteered for, and implemented freezes on hiring and non-essential spending.
Funding from New York State accounts for 16 percent of Dutchess County’s annual budget and Governor Andrew Cuomo has suggested the pandemic may result in as much as a 20 percent cut in state aid to local counties, resulting in a projected loss of $15-20 million to Dutchess County. County Executive Molinaro continues to advocate for state and federal aid for counties like Dutchess to avoid being forced to eliminate critical services and programs.
• County Executive Molinaro continued his advocacy to the New York State Office of People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) to allow visitation for families with loved ones living in residential group homes. For almost three months, the state has not allowed those with disabilities living in such facilities to visit with their families, further isolating them from their loved ones during a pandemic fraught with stress and uncertainty. As recently as June 5th, County Executive Molinaro wrote OPWDD Commissioner Dr. Theodore Kastner, imploring he update OPWDD’s guidance, which was last revised on April 28th, to restore visitation, allow more flexibility in accommodating visitation for all residents and protect those individuals who may be more susceptible to COVID-19 and protects all clients and staff.
• Molinaro also explained the delay in updates to the Dutchess County’s COVID-19 data dashboard. The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) is completing the transition to the New York State-wide CommCare Contact Tracing system, and phasing out the previously used contact tracing system. In verifying cases to be transferred to the new CommCare system, a significant number of individuals have been removed from the County’s active cases count, while the County continues to receive new data from the state. The dashboard is expected to be updated by Thursday, June 11th.
• The Mid-Hudson region, including Dutchess County, began Phase 2 of the “NY Forward” re-opening process on Tuesday, June 9th, with several business categories and activities permitted to open with certain criteria, including outdoor dining at local restaurants. Thanks to County Executive Molinaro’s advocacy, the State finally agreed to add several activities to Phase 2, which are now permissible, including:
o in-person instruction for special education students this summer; o in-person services at houses of worship, limited to 25 percent capacity; and o high school graduations, limited to 150 attendees, including students, families and staff.
County Executive Molinaro said while all three are steps in the right direction, he will continue to advocate to the State to revise its capacity restrictions regarding in-person services when proper social distancing can be achieved at houses of worship, as well as its prohibition on graduations of more than 150 people, as many local schools have access to outdoor venues that could both accommodate larger gatherings and ensure proper social distancing.
• Dutchess County anticipates entering Phase 3 of the process on Tuesday, June 23rd, and the state has provided initial guidance on businesses and activities that will be permitted to move forward in Phase 3 with limited capacity and proper social distancing protocols being followed. They include:
o indoor seating at restaurants; o food trucks and concessions; and o personal care businesses, including tattoo and piercing facilities, appearance enhancement practitioners, massage therapy, spas, cosmetology, nail specialty, UV and non-UV tanning, or waxing.
More information about Phases 2 and 3 of the re-opening process, and how they affect local businesses and activities, can be found on the County’s Restarting Dutchess webpage.
• With the end of the school year looming, County Executive Molinaro urged parents who depend on summer camp as childcare to reach out this week to camps to confirm space is available for their children. Day camps are now permitted to operate in the Mid-Hudson region, and with COVID-19 condensing their timeline, many camps now have very short registration periods to ensure proper staffing levels. Registration for summer programs operated by the County’s Parks Division begins Monday, June 15th. These popular programs routinely fill to capacity, and County Executive Molinaro encouraged residents to register their children promptly.
County Executive Molinaro will host another COVID-19 Town Hall on Friday, June 12th at 1 p.m. As with all previous online town hall forums, the June 12th event will be broadcast live on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page, and American Sign Language interpreters will translate the conversation. For information on how to participate and view past online COVID-19 community conversations, view the County’s Coronavirus webpage.
Summary guidelines have been released for Phase 3 reopening. Guidelines for food services are HERE. Guidelines for non-hair related personal care services are HERE.We are targeted to reach Phase 3 in the Mid-Hudson Region on or about 6/23.
The U.S. Department of Labor has released a question and answer web page specifically on face coverings and masks in the workplace. That Q&A can be found HERE.
In today’s (Wednesday) press conference, Governor Andrew Cuomo said guidance would be issued in the coming days for how outdoor public pools can be operated.
A new Executive Order has been released by Governor Cuomo that requires nursing home staff be tested once a week, instead of twice a week as a previous Executive Order demanded. The new Executive Order can be found HERE.
Guidance has been released by the state for higher education research. This guidance should be used both for those who are now open, and those who were deemed essential in the beginning of the shutdown. You can find the guidance HERE.
If you have any questions regarding the information in this notification or any other business related concerns and suggestions, please email Contact@DutchessBNN.com. Please do NOT contact elected officials regarding information in this email as they are currently inundated with handling the government response to this crisis. This network was created to help coordinate responses and share the burden, and we ask that you please contact us with any questions or concerns so our elected officials can focus on their task at hand. Thank you for your continued support through this time.
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