The Mohawk Valley region hopes to hear by the middle of next week on whether it qualifies to take part in the first phase of regional reopening from pandemic-related restrictions.
The six-county region appears to meet six of the seen criteria Gov. Andrew Cuomo has set to allow region-by-region phased lifting of restrictions starting May 15, and is closing in on meeting the seventh, County Executive Anthony Picente said Wednesday.
It will not be all at once, however, and even if some restrictions are lifted, measures such as mask wearing, social distancing and avoiding crowds will have to continue, Picente said during the daily briefing on county pandemic response.
"We have been weathering the storm. We do have a ways to go. We will meet that criteria," Picente said. "We have meticulously planned for a phased reopening, and we'll be ready on May 15 if and only if our health conditions allow and the governor gives us the green light.”
Cuomo's plan for regional reopening would allow businesses deemed low-risk, primarily construction and manufacturing sectors not already considered essential, to open first. Other types could follow in the next phases as cases and hospitalizations are monitored and assessed every two weeks. Large gatherings and major recreation and entertainment facilities would be in the final phase, likely not until mid-summer at least.
The county reported six newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, the smallest number after weeks of cases numbering in the double digits each day. Twenty-two people confirmed to have the condition remained hospitalized, including two at Rome Memorial Hospital, 18 at Mohawk Valley Health System hospitals and two in other counties.
The county's total number of cases spiked earlier in the week but that was largely because of some 64 employees of Green Empire Farm greenhouses in Oneida who live or are temporarily housed in Oneida County. Cuomo mentioned the outbreak in his briefing Wednesday, calling it a hot spot upstate.
Madison County health authorities also identified more than 100 cases among residents of the county who work at the greenhouse, many of them seasonal migrant workers housed at area hotels.
More importantly, Picente said, the percentage of tests that come back negative has been steady or declining, as has the hospitalization tally since April 17. Hospitals are well below the 70 percent of capacity threshold Cuomo set, and the county and region appear to have sufficient people tracing contacts of confirmed patients. Mandatory quarantine remained in effect for 761 people in the county and precautionary for 952.
The one criterion lacking is diagnostic testing, which Cuomo set as 30 for every 1,000 residents per month. Picente said it is measured by the state on a seven-day rolling average, a target he believes the region can meet. Rite-Aid is testing patients by appointment at its New Hartford location, and the state Department of Health has by-appointment testing at a special site at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.
The goal, he said, "it's not in the thousands like that. It’s rally more in the hundreds on the daily average."
Picente spent much of Wednesday's briefing sharing the outlines of the reopening plan for the Mohawk Valley region, which also includes Herkimer, Otsego, Fulton, Montgomery and Schoharie counties. He did not release the entire plan, however, until it is fully vetted by the governor's office, he told reporters.
Picente said the county has received criticism both from people who want restrictions lifted or question why some types of businesses are allowed open while others aren't, and from those concerned about reopening too soon. His intent, he said, is to stress that reopening will be done only in phases and under the state's rules, and only when health data indicate it is safe.
"I know this community has suffered just like communities all across this country. And while the impatience is growing, that impatience has to be guided by sound principle. It has to be safe for us to reopen, and we have to do it in phases, phases in which industries can react and make sure that first and foremost their employees are safe and secondly when their doors open for customers those customers are safe.”
Picente said he planned a meeting today with county business leaders. The regional plan includes guidelines specifying precautions for businesses that reopen to minimize risk to employees and customers, and an advisory council with representatives from business, health and local government.
"We will put a tool kit together for each of the various industry sectors so that they know first hand what they need to do, how they need to do it and what needs to be done for their customers and the people they service."
One potential issue, however, is state corrections and mental health facilities in the county. Together, state facilities account for more than 25 percent of all the county's cases recorded so far, the largest single category of facility-based cases, according to the county's tally as of Wednesday afternoon.
Others are health care facilities, primarily hospitals, with nearly 16 percent; nursing homes, more than 12 percent; group homes, about 5.6 percent, and Green Empire Farms, about 12 percent. The facilities tallies include both residents and employees. In all, about two-thirds of the county's confirmed cases are linked to one of these facilities.
Mitigating the spread at the state facilities is essential, Picente said. "What could the state do better in these locations? Proper PPE, extensive cleaning and rapid testing are examples, because it does need to get better before we can reopen.”
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