Malls in the Mid-Hudson region, and other areas of the state that have reached Phase 4, will reopen today, Friday July 10. Malls must have air filtration systems that can remove coronavirus particles from the air. Shoppers will also have to follow social distancing rules and stores will be restricted to 50 percent occupancy. The Mid-Hudson region includes Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties.
“We are happy to see that the malls will reopen,” Putnam County Executive Maryellen Odell said. “With nearby states allowing mall shopping, this will level the playing field for New York State.”
Gov. Andrew Cuomo did not permit gyms, indoor fitness centers and movie theaters to reopen as part of Phase 4, instead they must remain closed through August 5.
“We feel the pain of those small business owners, and we are disappointed with the delay,” said Kathleen Abels, president of the Putnam County Economic Development Corporation. “Now, at least, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Barring a change, the governor’s Executive Order gives gyms, indoor fitness centers and movie theaters a projected reopening date of August 6.”
In New York, the Mid-Hudson region has been getting back to normal, or the new normal, since the first phase of the reopening started at the end of May. Over the past six weeks, jobs came back, restaurants opened -- first for outdoor dining and then for indoor dining -- and now low-risk entertainment is returning.
In Phase 4, colleges and other institutions of higher education can reopen, as can zoos, botanical gardens, nature parks, historic sites and cultural sites. Media production companies, including film, television, music and website producers, can also get back to business.