Latimer Confident Phase 2 Will Begin By Next Tuesday
Westchester County Executive George Latimer expressed a high degree of confidence Wednesday that the local region will enter the second phase of the reopening process next week as COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths continue to dwindle.
Based on the two-week spacing between phases that the state is using as a rule of thumb, the seven-county Mid-Hudson region, which includes Westchester and Putnam counties, should be ready for Phase 2 on Tuesday barring a surprise regression.
“All of these things lead us to believe that next Tuesday, June 9, if all factors continue in the direction that they are, we will continue to Phase 2,” Latimer said.
Figures reported by the state Wednesday showed just 49 deaths and 137 new COVID-19-related hospitalizations. Just three of those fatalities were in Westchester, Latimer said.
Phase 2 calls for a nearly full reopening of retail and professional offices under the state’s guidelines, which represents a major test after the limited reopening in Phase 1. Merchants inside malls with more than 100,000 square feet of retail space cannot open unless they conduct curbside retail or there is an exterior entrance and exit.
“We think that’s going to be a big step forward, and come Tuesday that’s the beginning of Phase 2, it’ll be two weeks away from a Phase 3, which is opening up restaurants,” Latimer said.
Seven upstate regions have now all entered the second phase and are maintaining testing levels, new infections and hospital capacity that are well within the acceptable thresholds on the state’s metrics dashboard, along with minimal fatalities.
Latimer said that the county’s new Reopening Task Force, which was unveiled on Monday, will convene virtually for the first time Thursday morning. Its goal is to help the various business sectors and industries open safely and help business owners navigate the guidelines that they will have to follow, such as providing personal protection equipment for all employees and keeping logs of everyone who enters their store.
Despite the upbeat outlook and the gradual emergence of commerce, Latimer cautioned that the county’s deficit will be at more than $100 million. In late April, he announced the first $20 million in reductions with more on the way, but federal assistance is going to be needed.
“We will not have enough revenue as Westchester County alone to be able to address that challenge, so we will be talking to the federal government to help us bridge a portion of the gap that we can’t handle ourselves,” Latimer said.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/