Rockland Officials Urge Businesses To Get Re-Opening Plans Done

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County officials are helping businesses re-open properly now that the Mid-Hudson region has met all necessary benchmarks to begin reopening after the pandemic shutdown. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the region only has to train more tracers for the Test-Trace-Isolate strategy and should be able to begin Phase 1 on Tuesday.

The Mid-Hudson Region is required to supply 1,991 trained contact tracers in order to enter Phase 1 on Tuesday, May 26. Rockland County’s share of this total is 279. To date, 335 Rockland County employees have completed the Johns Hopkins training program.

“We have been doing everything humanly possible to meet NY’s reopening criteria from identifying and training these employees to working with our local businesses to ensure they are ready to go,” said County Executive Ed Day. "Thank you to our County employees here and those elsewhere in our region which have stepped up to help us meet this goal and begin reopening.”

Director of Economic Development and Tourism Jeremy Schulman said his office has been working to ensure local businesses included in Phase 1 understand the NYS Guidelines, have created business safety plans and submitted affirmations to the State. Businesses are required to submit these affirmations and have the safety plans on file.

Businesses in Phase 1 include:

• Construction
• Manufacturing
• Retail - Curbside Pickup
• Wholesale Trade
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting

“We ask that these businesses go online to the following State web links to review and complete the required forms pertaining to your business and industry sector,” said Schulman. "We are available to assist and look forward to working with you to safely and responsibly get back to business.”

https://forward.ny.gov/industries-reopening-phase

https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/ConstructionMasterGuidance.pdf

https://www.governor.ny.gov/sites/governor.ny.gov/files/atoms/files/NYS_BusinessReopeningSafetyPlanTemplate.pdf

“We have great respect for our local business community and know that they will do what is required to protect everyone’s health and safety. We have already had several conversations with our Town Supervisors and Village Mayors regarding enforcement of the State’s guidelines and we will be taking an educational approach. We want to protect the wellbeing of our residents and these businesses employees NOT punish these already struggling entities with fines and penalties,” said Day. "While it is critical that we begin reopening the economy and getting people back to work, we will approach this first Phase and each additional Phase with safety first, people always as our motto.”