Governor to decide in August if schools will open in the fall

Governor to decide whether schools will reopen the first week of AugustGovernor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced malls will be allowed to reopen in New York State this Friday under certain conditions while the state will decide by early August if schools can reopen in September. The Governor said malls would need special air filtering systems, MERV-13 or highest available, to be allowed to reopen. Behind Governor Cuomo is a mountain installation representing the curve of COVID-19 infections in the state, starting from the first day of infections, March 1st, to the peak number of infections/deaths on Day #42, culminating to the gradual decline of cases by Day #111 that continues today to Day #130. (Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New York State will decide whether schools will reopen in the fall during the first week of August. New York State is now consulting with stakeholders on guidance, which will be finalized on July 13. Plans to reopen schools are due on July 31.

The governor also announced that all county fairs will be canceled until further notice out of an abundance of caution. Governor Cuomo previously announced that the New York State Fair will be canceled this summer.

Governor Cuomo also announced beginning Friday, July 10, malls can open in regions that have entered Phase IV of reopening if they have implemented an enhanced Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning – or HVAC – filtration system and follow proper ventilation protocols. HVAC systems will be required to include filters with a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value – or MERV – rating of which filters out the COVID-19 virus, but can, if the system makes additional protections, run on a minimum MERV of 11. Ventilation protocols include increased outdoor air, reduced air circulation, longer system run times and frequent filter checks.

 Governor Cuomo also announced that New York State will provide 1,000 masks and 1,000 2-ounce bottles of hand sanitizer for the Fire Island COVID Destroyers – a partnership that includes GMHC and Fire Island community leaders – to distribute on Fire Island.

 The governor also updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Long Island enters Phase IV of reopening today. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.

“We have been consulting all stakeholders on guidance for how a school would reopen in September. We have 700 school districts in this state, and they range from rural to urban to suburban areas. Localities are very involved in their schools and school decisions, so we have been meeting with them,” Governor Cuomo said. “During the first week of August, the state will announce a decision on whether or not those schools reopen, and we want to make that decision with the best available data because facts change here day to day and week to week. A week can be a lifetime with this virus because everything changes so quickly. The schools say they need a decision made by the end of the first week in August so they can then turn on the switches and get everything ready for September, and we’ll look at the data in that first week and then we’ll make a decision.”

Today’s data is summarized briefly below:

  • Patient Hospitalization – 841 (+5)
  • Patients Newly Admitted – 84 (+16)
  • Hospital Counties – 31
  • Number ICU – 166 (+6)
  • Number ICU with Intubation – 97 (-6)
  • Total Discharges – 71,185 (+94)
  • Deaths – 11
  • Total Deaths – 24,944

Of the 57,585 tests conducted in New York State yesterday, 692, or 1.2 percent, were positive. Each region’s percentage of positive tests over the last three days is as follows:

 

REGION

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Capital Region

1.00%

1.20%

0.90%

Central New York

1.70%

1.60%

1.20%

Finger Lakes

1.10%

0.90%

1.40%

Long Island

0.90%

1.00%

1.30%

Mid-Hudson

0.90%

0.90%

1.20%

Mohawk Valley

1.10%

1.10%

1.10%

New York City

0.90%

1.10%

1.20%

North Country

0.40%

0.20%

0.20%

Southern Tier

0.70%

0.50%

0.50%

Western New York

1.20%

1.40%

1.70%

 The Governor also confirmed 692 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 398,929 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 398,929 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

County

Total Positive

New Positive

Albany

2,175

11

Allegany

64

1

Broome

766

4

Cattaraugus

130

2

Cayuga

122

0

Chautauqua

149

14

Chemung

147

0

Chenango

159

2

Clinton

106

1

Columbia

482

3

Cortland

54

1

Delaware

91

0

Dutchess

4,250

2

Erie

7,596

52

Essex

49

0

Franklin

33

0

Fulton

262

0

Genesee

244

2

Greene

263

0

Hamilton

6

0

Herkimer

181

0

Jefferson

94

0

Lewis

31

0

Livingston

137

3

Madison

368

1

Monroe

4,046

42

Montgomery

121

0

Nassau

42,122

34

Niagara

1,307

10

NYC

217,777

289

Oneida

1,776

16

Onondaga

3,029

32

Ontario

286

3

Orange

10,806

8

Orleans

286

1

Oswego

210

3

Otsego

86

0

Putnam

1,344

4

Rensselaer

580

9

Rockland

13,679

11

Saratoga

582

4

Schenectady

844

1

Schoharie

60

1

Schuyler

13

0

Seneca

71

0

St. Lawrence

227

1

Steuben

271

0

Suffolk

41,799

69

Sullivan

1,460

1

Tioga

150

0

Tompkins

180

1

Ulster

1,845

2

Warren

273

0

Washington

247

0

Wayne

193

2

Westchester

35,154

48

Wyoming

98

1

Yates

48

0

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