SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WKBW) — Western New Yorkers will need to wait a bit longer, but a major chunk of the state is set to begin Phase 1 of the Governor's reopening plan on Friday, May 15.
On the eve of this benchmark, Governor Andrew Cuomo has this message for local governments, "stay vigilant."
The governor made that a focus during his daily COVID-19 briefing from Syracuse on Thursday. Cuomo is calling on local governments to monitor three specific areas:
- Daily COVID-19 case numbers
- Business Compliance
- Individual Compliance
Cuomo stressed that just because phased reopening is set to begin, it does not mean the problem has disappeared, adding that if numbers begin to change, local governments need to react immediately.
Each region must meet seven specific metrics in order to be eligible for Phase 1 of New York's reopening plan.
Metric #1—Decline in Total Hospitalizations. Region must show a sustained decline in the three-day rolling average of total net hospitalizations (defined as the total number of people in the hospital on a given day) over the course of a 14-day period. Alternatively, regions can satisfy this metric if the daily net increase in total hospitalizations (measured on a 3-day rolling average basis) has never exceeded 15. The first number in this cell represents the number of consecutive days of decline in the three-day rolling average of total net hospitalizations; if this number is 14 or greater the region automatically satisfies this metric. The second number represents the maximum daily net increase in total hospitalizations measured on a three day rolling average that the region has experienced; if this number is 15 or less the region automatically satisfies this metric.
Metric #2—Decline in Deaths. Region must show a sustained decline in the three-day rolling average of daily hospital deaths over the course of a 14-day period. Alternatively, regions can satisfy this metric if the three-day rolling average of daily new hospital deaths has never exceeded 5. The first number in this cell represents the number of consecutive days of decline in the three-day rolling average of daily hospital deaths; if this number is 14 or greater the region automatically satisfies this metric. The second number represents maximum daily increase in the three-day rolling average of new hospital deaths that the region has experienced; if this number is 5 or less the region automatically satisfies this metric.
Metric #3—New Hospitalizations.Region must experience fewer than 2 new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, measured on a three-day rolling average. New hospitalizations include both new admissions and prior admissions subsequently confirmed as positive COVID cases.
Metric #4—Hospital Bed Capacity.Regions must have at least 30% of their hospital beds available.
Metric #5—ICU Bed Capacity.Regions must have at least 30% of their ICU beds available.
Metric #6—Diagnostic Testing Capacity.Average daily diagnostic testing over the past 7 days must be sufficient to conduct 30 tests per 1,000 residents per month.
Metric #7—Contact Tracing Capacity.Number of contact tracers in each region must meet thresholds set by the Department of Health, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health and Vital Strategies.
This is where each region stands as of May 13, 2020.
