New Yorkers will now be able to see for themselves on a regular basis where their regions stand in terms of the benchmarks the state has set to being the re-opening process.
Speaking in Syracuse Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced the state will begin posting a 'Daily Dashboard' that will show where each region of the state stands in terms of the seven metrics needing to be met before that region can enter the Phase 1 re-opening process.
Those benchmarks are:
- 14-day decline in hospitalizations OR under 15 new hospitalizations (3-day average)
- 14-day decline in hospitalized death OR under five new (3-day average)
- New hospitalizations: Under 2 per 100,000 residents (3-day rolling average)
- Threshold of 30% of hospital beds available
- Threshold of 30% of ICU beds available
- 30 per 1,000 residents tested monthly (7-day average of new tests per day)
- 30 contact tracers per 100,000 residents or to meet the current infection rate
Many regions of the state have met those markers and will be able to enter Phase I at 12:01 AM Friday. Western New York is not yet one of them.
Statewide, Cuomo said new cases, hospitalizations and intubations continue on the downward trend. However, he also announced 157 New Yorkers succumbed to the virus on Wednesday.
When asked by a reporter about religious services and when they might be able to resume, the governor said that it has nothing to do with religion and that the guidance on large gatherings still needs to be followed. "The last thing you want is 100-200 people in close proximity".
A question many 2 On Your Side viewers continue to ask: Which phase do salons, beauty shops and similar business fall into? Cuomo said it's up to the regional control group in each part of the state to determine which business belongs in which phase, tailored to that region, but admitted,"I don't know where hairstylists fall."