After a several week shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, some businesses in the Southern Tier soon will begin to resume operations.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said regional reopenings will get underway on Friday.

In addition to the Southern Tier, the Finger Lakes and Mohawk Valley regions have been given authorization to start what Cuomo called a "new chapter."

Governor Cuomo says the Southern Tier region will be able to start reopening on May 15, 2020. Image: ny.gov
Governor Cuomo says the Southern Tier region will be able to start reopening on May 15, 2020. (Image: ny.gov)
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The governor made the announcement during his Monday COVID-19 briefing, which was held in Irondequoit.

Cuomo said the first phase of the regional reopenings will involve construction, manufacturing and the wholesale supply chain. Retail operations will be permitted to provide curbside pickup. Agriculture, forestry and fishing also will be allowed to restart operations with appropriate health and safety precautions.

Some outdoor "low-risk" activities including drive-in movie theaters and tennis can resume.

Local officials will be required to continually monitor coronavirus infections and deaths in order to promptly respond if COVID-19 cases begin to rise again.

Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com

For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.

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