The Governor outlined guidelines that will help regions create individual plans based on facts and data to reopen New York.
See: What are the 10 regions of the state?
The state will monitor core factors to determine if a region can reopen.
The loosening of restrictions in New York will be considered on a regional basis, based on the following criteria. These criteria are designed to allow phased reopenings to begin in each region only if:
- The infection rate is sufficiently low;
- The health care system has the capacity to absorb a potential resurgence in new cases;
- Diagnostic testing capacity is sufficiently high to detect and isolate new cases; and
- Robust contact-tracing capacity is in place to help prevent the spread of the virus.
See: How are we doing based on these criteria?
Description of Metrics:
These metrics have been established based on guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization, the U.S. Department of State, and other public health experts. For more information, read the NY Forward Book.
Metric #1: Decline in Total Hospitalizations
Region must show a sustained decline in the three-day rolling average of total net hospitalizations (the total number of people in the hospital each 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) has never exceeded 15.
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.
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.
