COVID-19 News, Information & Resources

What's New?

Businesses and industries will open in a phased approach. Phase 1 includes construction, manufacturing and select retail (with curbside pickup). Phase 2 includes professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support and real estate/rental leasing. Phase 3 includes restaurants, food services and hotels. And Phase 4 includes arts, entertainment, recreation and education. 

Upon reopening, businesses must implement new safety precautions to help lower the risk of spreading the virus. These include strict cleaning and sanitation standards, restricting nonessential travel, adapting the workplace to allow for social distancing, and requiring masks to be worn if employees are in frequent contact with the public. Read all the requirements here.

• Nonessential businesses will stay closed through May 15th.
• All K-12 schools and college facilities statewide will remain closed and continue to provide distance learning, meal delivery and childcare services for the remainder of the school year.
• Governor Cuomo issued executive orders 202.17 and 202.18 requiring all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public, including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles.
• New Yorkers without health insurance can apply through NY State of Health through June 15, 2020; must apply within 60 days of losing coverage.
• 35 counties that do not have significant risk of a COVID-19 surge in the near term can now resume elective outpatient treatments.
• Businesses should begin to prepare plans that include new measures to protect employees and consumers, make the physical work space safer, and implement processes that lower risk of infection in the business. This plan will be required to reopen according to Governor Cuomo.
• The CDC has released guidance on both how to create and properly wear a cloth mask. It includes instruction on how to make a sewn and no-sew mask. It can be found here.
• If you are an essential worker, you may qualify for free childcare. To see if you qualify, and to learn more about the program, click here.
• The Business Council has set up a page on their website where they continually upload the newest information and resources businesses can use during these unprecedented circumstances. Additionally their HR Hotline remains open in this complex time. (1-800-332-2117)
• Testing is free for all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider.
• Your local health department is your community contact for COVID-19 concerns.

PUBLIC ADVISORY

COVID-19 Testing & The Re-Opening

of the Capital Region

Since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis and the subsequent restrictions on gatherings, the Greene County Legislature has made unprecedented efforts to keep our residents and businesses safe and informed.

The Governor’s daily crisis updates have repeatedly emphasized the need for adequate testing to identify not only new cases of the virus, but also to assess the number of New Yorkers who have successfully recovered from the infection, and are producing anti-bodies to COVID-19.

The Governor’s plan to systematically re-open businesses and gathering places by region largely depends on the availability of test kits within each of New York’s 10 regions.

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Comptroller DiNapoli Announces

$50 Million toward Small

Business Relief, Job Retention

State Pension Fund Supports Paycheck Protection Program;

Pursuing Additional $100 Million Allocation

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli today announced that the New York State Common Retirement Fund (the Fund) is putting $50 million toward the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a component of the latest coronavirus relief package. Under the PPP, employers can secure loans that will be forgiven by the federal government if employees are kept on the payroll for eight weeks and the money is used for payroll, rent, mortgage interest, or utilities.

The Fund’s commitment will supplement PPP loans being administered by Pursuit (formerly New York Business Development Corporation). Returns to the Fund will be consistent with U.S. Treasury securities.

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Listen to our Interview with WRIP regarding our local businesses in Greene County here.