ALBANY – Those who were hoping to catch a movie, place a bet at a casino or hit the gym in New York on Friday will have to make due with visiting a zoo, botanical garden or museum.
Five of New York's 10 economic regions are on track to begin Phase 4 of the state's COVID-19 reopening process Friday, including the Finger Lakes, Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier, Gov. Andrew Cuomo confirmed Wednesday.
Phase 4 was originally billed as the final stage, allowing for education, recreation, arts and entertainment facilities to reopen. And for weeks, theaters, fitness facilities and shopping malls thought that meant they would be able to open their doors.
But by Wednesday morning, it became clear they will have to wait for a separate determination from Gov. Andrew Cuomo's office before welcoming their customers back.
Cuomo said Wednesday the state is studying whether droplets infected with the coronavirus can be inadvertently spread via air conditioning in crowded indoor spaces before making a determination on gyms and shopping malls.
"We're just saying we've gotten some new information on how the virus spreads," the governor said at a news conference in Manhattan. "We're still studying it. We'll have a decision after we process all the information."
Cuomo's office released guidelines late Tuesday night for businesses and industries that will get the green light to move ahead in Phase 4.
The guidelines, however, only apply to movie productions and "low-risk" arts and entertainment venues, including zoos, botanical gardens, museums, art galleries, aquariums and historical sites.
Among the venues that will have to remain closed and wait for Cuomo's approval are amusement parks, arcades, bowling alleys, casinos, indoor concerts, movie theaters and indoor performing arts productions, according to the state documents.
Outdoor performing arts events are limited to the statewide nonessential gathering limit.
Social gatherings are currently capped at a maximum of 25 people, while religious services are capped at 25% of a building's capacity.
On Wednesday, Cuomo said those numbers will increase in Phase 4: Social gatherings of up to 50 people will be permitted, while religious services will be upped to 33% capacity.
Gym, theater owners sent scrambling
Word that gyms and theaters would be excluded from Phase 4 was first reported Tuesday by the Times Union of Albany.
Local officials who are part of the state's regional COVID-19 "control rooms" were notified of the decision in a private call Tuesday afternoon.
That sent owners of gyms and theaters scrambling to find out if they would or would not get authorization to reopen.
Gyms, theaters and casinos have been forced closed in New York since mid-March, as the coronavirus spread rapidly through the state, infecting at least 380,000 people and leading to nearly 25,000 deaths.
Organizations like the YMCA and the Jewish Community Center rely almost entirely on membership fees to operate. With their doors largely shut since March 15, many local outposts have dealt with large numbers of members putting their memberships on hold.
For weeks, most fitness centers had assumed they would be included in Phase 4.
Kyle Stewart, executive director of the Alliance of New York State YMCAs, said some branches across the state brought back previously furloughed workers in anticipation of reopening Friday.
"We were very surprised and very disappointed by the decision," Stewart said Wednesday. "Ever since we've been closed, we've been figuring out what our plans are when we reopen. We have guidelines from the CDC and information from the Department of Health and reopening plans from YMCAs in other states that have already reopened."
Sen. Sue Serino, R-Hyde Park, Dutchess County, took issue with the state's decision, saying it is "illogical" to allow Hollywood film productions to resume but block some local businesses from reopening.
“New Yorkers have gone above and beyond to do their part to protect public health," she said in a statement. "Now, once again, in the dark of night, the state is rewriting the rules and making arbitrary decisions about who can open next and who cannot."
Four-phase approach slowly opens industries
Cuomo has touted his four-phase approach to reopening for nearly two months.
The first phase included the construction and manufacturing industries, as well as curbside pickup for retail.
Phase 2 included indoor retail shopping, as well as outdoor dining. Phase 3 expanded to indoor dining, while Phase 4 was initially supposed to include the education, arts/entertainment and recreation industries.
But last week, Cuomo issued a separate set of guidelines and rules for recreational sports leagues, who won't get the state's OK to reopen until July 6.
Five regions of the state are set to begin Phase 4 on Friday: Finger Lakes (including Rochester), Mohawk Valley, Central New York, North Country and Southern Tier.
Two other regions, the Capital Region and Western New York, are set to enter the fourth phase next week, with the Mid-Hudson and Long Island expected to follow the week after.
New York City entered Phase 2 on Monday. There are at least two weeks between phases.
Museums, botanical gardens and other venues that are able to reopen in Phase 4 will have to follow strict rules set by the state.
That includes restrictions on capacity. For outdoor venues, that means no more than 33% of the maximum capacity allowed in any one area. For indoor venues, the maximum capacity will be reduced to 25% of its normal total.
Jon Campbell is a New York state government reporter for the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached at JCAMPBELL1@Gannett.com or on Twitter at @JonCampbellGAN.
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