ALBANY, N.Y. — The Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley regions of Upstate New York have met New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s public health guidelines to begin the process of reopening businesses and industries impacted by the COVID-19 heath crisis. The requirements to reopen a region include a 14-day decline in hospitalizations and hospitalized deaths, fewer than two new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, as well as several other requirements related to hospital capacity and testing availability. Regions that meet the required metrics by May 15 will be allowed to restart construction, manufacturing, retail for curbside pickup, agriculture and forestry operations, as well as some recreational activities. The North Country and Central New York regions are close to meeting all metrics, according to a statement from the governor. As of May 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 334,640 positive cases of the virus in New York and 26,923 deaths.
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