Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced new, data-driven guidance for reopening schools in New York State. According to Governor Cuomo, schools in a region can reopen if that region is in Phase IV of reopening and if its daily infection rate remains below 5 percent or lower using a 14-day average since unPAUSE was lifted. Schools will close if the regional infection rate rises above 9 percent, using a 7-day average, after Aug. 1.
New York State will make the formula determination during the week of Aug. 1 to 7. New York State, the Reimagine Education Advisory Council and the Department of Health released finalized guidance and guiding principles for reopening schools today, which are available here.
The DOH and Governor’s Reimagine Council are working closely with the Department of Education as it releases education guidance. Plans to reopen schools are due on July 31.
Topics addressed by state guidance include:
- Masks/PPE
- Social Distancing
- Cohort Structures
- Restructuring Space to Maximize In-Class Instruction
- Transportation
- Food Service
- Aftercare and Extracurriculars
- Screening
- Tracing
- Cleaning and Disinfecting
Governor Cuomo also updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The number of new cases, percentage of tests that were positive and many other helpful data points are always available at forward.ny.gov.
“Everybody wants to reopen schools, but you only reopen if it’s safe to reopen, and that’s determined by the data,” said Governor Cuomo.
He added, “You don’t hold your finger up and feel the wind, you don’t have an inspiration, you don’t have a dream, you don’t have an emotion – look at the data. We test more and we have more data than any state. If you have the virus under control, reopen. If you don’t have the virus under control, then you can’t reopen. We’re not going to use our children as the litmus test and we’re not going to put our children in a place where their health is endangered. It’s that simple. Common sense and intelligence can still determine what we do, even in this crazy environment. We’re not going to use our children as guinea pigs. What I say to the experts is very simple. I’m making the determination as to whether or not I would send my daughter to school. If it’s safe, I’ll send her. If it’s not safe, I’m not going to send her. And you can determine that by science.”
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
- Patient Hospitalization – 792 (-9)
- Patients Newly Admitted – 60 (-15)
- Hospital Counties – 31
- Number ICU – 175 (+1)
- Number ICU with Intubation – 103 (+1)
- Total Discharges – 71,643 (+78)
- Deaths – 10
- Total Deaths – 24,989
Of the 51,687 tests conducted in New York State yesterday, 557, or 1.08 percent, were positive. Each region’s percentage of positive tests over the last three days is as follows:
REGION |
FRIDAY |
SATURDAY |
SUNDAY |
Capital Region |
1.2% |
2.0% |
0.9% |
Central New York |
1.7% |
1.1% |
1.0% |
Finger Lakes |
1.0% |
0.8% |
1.0% |
Long Island |
1.0% |
0.9% |
1.5% |
Mid-Hudson |
0.8% |
0.9% |
0.8% |
Mohawk Valley |
0.9% |
0.8% |
0.8% |
New York City |
1.0% |
1.3% |
1.1% |
North Country |
0.3% |
0.4% |
0.2% |
Southern Tier |
1.5% |
0.6% |
0.9% |
Western New York |
1.9% |
1.0% |
1.1% |
The Governor also confirmed 557 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 402,263 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 402,263 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:
County |
Total Positive |
New Positive |
Albany |
2,225 |
6 |
Allegany |
66 |
0 |
Broome |
827 |
7 |
Cattaraugus |
138 |
0 |
Cayuga |
126 |
0 |
Chautauqua |
171 |
1 |
Chemung |
148 |
0 |
Chenango |
169 |
3 |
Clinton |
109 |
0 |
Columbia |
487 |
1 |
Cortland |
59 |
1 |
Delaware |
92 |
0 |
Dutchess |
4,280 |
4 |
Erie |
7,766 |
24 |
Essex |
51 |
0 |
Franklin |
36 |
0 |
Fulton |
265 |
0 |
Genesee |
250 |
0 |
Greene |
266 |
0 |
Hamilton |
6 |
0 |
Herkimer |
193 |
1 |
Jefferson |
99 |
2 |
Lewis |
31 |
0 |
Livingston |
147 |
0 |
Madison |
375 |
1 |
Monroe |
4,200 |
23 |
Montgomery |
133 |
1 |
Nassau |
42,354 |
47 |
Niagara |
1,342 |
2 |
NYC |
219,301 |
250 |
Oneida |
1,830 |
7 |
Onondaga |
3,142 |
18 |
Ontario |
302 |
2 |
Orange |
10,841 |
6 |
Orleans |
287 |
0 |
Oswego |
222 |
2 |
Otsego |
89 |
0 |
Putnam |
1,365 |
4 |
Rensselaer |
617 |
1 |
Rockland |
13,719 |
3 |
Saratoga |
610 |
8 |
Schenectady |
868 |
4 |
Schoharie |
62 |
0 |
Schuyler |
15 |
0 |
Seneca |
74 |
0 |
St. Lawrence |
231 |
1 |
Steuben |
276 |
2 |
Suffolk |
42,112 |
84 |
Sullivan |
1,465 |
0 |
Tioga |
161 |
0 |
Tompkins |
186 |
0 |
Ulster |
1,862 |
3 |
Warren |
280 |
3 |
Washington |
249 |
0 |
Wayne |
209 |
4 |
Westchester |
35,327 |
30 |
Wyoming |
102 |
1 |
Yates |
48 |
0 |
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