Finger Lakes region to enter phase three of reopening

The Finger Lakes region will enter phase three of reopening on June 12. It joins Central New York, Mohawk Valley, North Country and the Southern Tier.

The team of global public health experts advising New York State on its reopening strategy has thoroughly reviewed the data for the five regions and cleared them to enter phase three, state officials said. Phase three allows indoor restaurant and food services and personal care services to resume. Each industry is subject to specific state guidelines to maximize safety and social distancing.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also announced that the state is allowing localities to open public pools and playgrounds at their discretion while following state guidance.

“We’ve had the most informed, science-based reopening in the country and as we continue our phased reopening the numbers continue to go down,” Cuomo said. “There is now one number to watch closely and that is the daily testing number because it is a snapshot of the day before and will tell us if the infection rate is going up in any given location. We’ve been doing everything right up until now, but we have to stay smart and keep following all the necessary precautions to keep getting those numbers down.”