Broome Businesses Offered Guidance for Phase II Reopening

Local business leaders are reminding offices, hair salons and others now allowed to reopen under phase two of New York’s plans to recover its economy, to review their industry guidance and affirm they will comply with public health guidelines.

Shortly after 1 p.m. May 29, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that the regions that had been allowed to open some business under phase one had continued to meet the metrics for hospitalizations, infection and other benchmarks, to be able to reopen the businesses under phase two.

Those industries include: Real Estate, offices, essential and phase two in-store retail, vehicle sales.. leases and rentals, retail rental.. repair and cleaning, commercial building management and hair salons and barbershops. Other personal care services like nail salons and massage are not included. Governor Cuomo May 31 announced dental offices would also be allowed to reopen June 1 for non-emergency procedures.

Information is available from The AGENCY and Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commercein the Broome County Reopen Playbook and from New York State at the NYForward portal.

Regions still must meet the state-set metrics, staying below set levels for hospital admissions, coronavirus infections, number of available hospital and ICU beds, testing and tracing before being cleared to allow the next set of businesses to open up.

Phase Three includes restaurants and food services.  The final phase involves arts, entertainment, recreation and education.