New York State’s infection rate has remained below 1% for over a month and, because of the amazing progress, Governor Cuomo has allowed several industries to re-open. Below are the following industries which have now re-opened, when they were permitted to re-open, and some of the guidelines they must follow:
Bowling Alleys – August 17th, 2020
- 50% capacity
- Masks/facial coverings required
- Social distancing
- Every other lane must be closed
- Food and beverage service limited to wait service. Orders must be taken and delivered to lanes. No ordering food at a bar or concession stand.
Gyms – August 24th, 2020
- 33% capacity
- Masks/facial coverings required
- All visitors must sign in when entering and provide their full name, address, and phone number for contact tracing
- Must modify the use, reorganize, and/or restrict the number of workout stations so that individuals are at least 6 ft. apart
- If spotting exercises occur, they must be conducted in the least amount of time possible
- All communal showers must be closed. Individual showers may remain open but must be cleaned and disinfected after each use
- Localities can determine whether gyms can hold indoor classes
- Each gym must complete and pass a health screen prior to re-opening
Low-Risk Indoor Arts & Entertainment (NYC) – August 24th, 2020
- 25% capacity
- Masks/facial coverings required
- Social distancing
- For exhibits in a small area, calculate and enforce maximum occupancy limits
- Monitor/control flow of traffic into and within the institution
- Only permit group tours for members of the same household or party
- Close high-risk interactive exhibits
- Close children’s play areas or exhibits with play equipment, unless those areas can be cleaned, disinfected, and sanitized before each child using the area/equipment who is not a member of the same household or party.
Casinos – September 9th, 2020
- 25% capacity
- Masks/facial coverings required
- Social distancing
- No table games will be allowed upon re-opening. Table games may be allowed if the casino can find a way to create physical barriers between participants. This system will need to be approved by the Gaming Commission.
- No beverage service will be allowed on the gaming floor
- Casinos will need to ensure their air filtration systems meet the State’s requirements.
Malls (NYC) – September 9th, 2020
- 50% capacity
- Masks/facial coverings required
- Social distancing
- No indoor dining.
The Governor also announced that, beginning September 21st, low-risk school sports will be permitted. “However, travel for practice or play will be prohibited outside of the school’s region or contiguous regions or counties until October 19th,” the Governor said. High-risk school sports will be allowed to begin practices on September 31st but will not be allowed to play until a later date of December 31st. Lastly, the Governor announced that indoor dining can resume in New York City on September 30th. However, indoor dining in the city will require specific guidelines, different than indoor dining guidelines elsewhere in the State. The indoor dining guidelines for NYC include:
- 25% capacity
- Temperature checks must be taken at the door
- Masks/facial coverings must be worn when not eating
- Social distancing
- One person per party must leave their information for contact tracing.
The list of states on New York’s Travel Advisory has continued to change throughout the weeks. The State’s Travel Advisory requires all non-essential employees travelling to New York from the included states to quarantine for 14-days. The current list includes:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- California
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Guam
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Virginia
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin