The Mid Hudson Region continues to emerge from the quarantine imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, entering phase 3 of the re-opening phase on Tuesday.
That means that for the first time since early March residents can dine inside a restaurant, visit a spa or nail salon or have their own garage sale to get rid of all the junk they’ve been staring at for the past three months. It’s not without certain conditions, however. Indoor seating at restaurants is limited to 50 percent capacity, leaving many owners wondering if that restriction will leave them with enough of a profit margin to make it worth their while. Nail salons, tattoo shops and massage therapists are now legally back in business, provided they don’t touch anyone’s face in the process, and garage sales are limited to 10 people. If you have a large family, you might not want the kids to help out.
The news from Albany has been encouraging. Gov. Andrew Cuomo ended his daily briefings on Friday, praising New Yorkers for their resolve, and pointing to statistics that show that New York is on the mend. The number of new cases reported daily and the number of daily deaths are on the decline. That’s good news for New York, but that’s not the case everywhere. Numbers elsewhere are soaring. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, not too long ago, was doing all he could to discourage New Yorkers from visiting his state, and threatening them with quarantine upon their arrival. Now the tables are turned, and Cuomo is threatening to return the favor, as last month’s Daytona and Jacksonville beach frolickers, are now this months new COVID-19 cases.
If the worst is behind us, it’s still not over yet. As of Monday, Orange County was reporting a total of 10,599 cases confirmed and 394 deaths while Ulster was reporting 1,744 cases confirmed and 80 deaths. In all, the virus had claimed the lives of nearly 31,000 New York State residents as of Monday.
The war isn’t over. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the now-renowned infectious disease specialist has warned us of serious health consequences if states open too quickly. He also predicted a second wave may hit us in the fall, concurrent with the return of flu season. That’s why, at this writing, many upcoming events, like the actual opening of school and fall sports, are on the bubble and August events, like the Ulster County Fair, Hudson Valley Renaissance Festival and New Windsor Community Day have already been canceled.
That’s why the best advice is still to move with caution. Visit your local restaurant, but opt for curbside pickup if it’s available; visit your local hardware or grocery store, but try to do it when it will be less crowded.
And keep that mask handy. Wear it when you go out of the house, and keep it on when you are in public. Yes it’s a nuisance, especially now in the hot days of summer, but wearing it now will hasten the day when we will be able to take it off for good.