BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

St. Lawrence County has been given the green light to begin phase one of the reopening process, but county Board of Legislators Chairman Joseph Lightfoot says there are many criteria businesses must meet to qualify.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Wednesday the North Country has met all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state’s regional phased reopening plan when NYS on PAUSE orders expire on May 15, joining the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions.

If the trend continues, these four regions can begin opening businesses for phase one, which includes construction; manufacturing and wholesale supply chain; retail for curbside pickup and drop-off or in-store pickup; and agriculture, forestry and fishing.

“It’s not without restrictions,” Lightfoot said. “ For instance businesses have to have a plan and it has to be posted for employees and customers. They have to provide their workers with proper safety equipment and outline procedures for cleanliness. All together I think it’s about a seven-page check sheet they need to comply with,” he said.

Lightfoot said the Wednesday announcement left a short window for businesses to prepare for the Friday opening and many questions remain. He said that the four phase reopening plan laid out by the governor makes no mention of churches, which have been unable to host functions due to the restrictions of gatherings of more than 10 people.

“We’re doing something in this state that no other state is doing - we are having a transparent discussion about the reopening operations because it only works if people understand it and are part of it. New Yorkers will know exactly what is happening in their region and in their county on a daily basis, and the state will continue to monitor these metrics to determine when regions are ready to reopen and if we need to adjust the reopening plans. Four regions have now met all seven metrics required to begin reopening, and we will continue to keep New Yorkers informed as this process goes forward.”

While some are excited about being able to begin phase one of reopening, State Sen. Patty Ritchie says it’s not enough. She is asking the governor to allow the region to move to "Phase Two" of the state's re-opening strategy on May 15.

In a letter to the governor, Ritchie points out that the region has continued to see a low level of infection rates and a minimal level of community spread.

"We credit this largely to our residents, who have taken this pandemic seriously," writes Ritchie. "They have risen to the challenge; working hard to adhere to stringent social distancing practices and taking precautionary actions such as wearing masks and avoiding congregate settings. Further, our hospitals, which have low-occupancy rates and very few hospitalized COVID-19 cases, have continued to be well-positioned to respond to any outbreaks. We are confident that moving forward, these practices will continue."

Ritchie said that in recent weeks, many of her constituents have reached out to convey the "tremendous struggles" they are facing.

"We have heard from countless small business owners, whose livelihoods have been decimated. Hundreds, if not thousands, have contacted us to express frustration and fear over the fact that they are still waiting -- in some cases, for nearly two months -- for their unemployment claims to be processed. These are people, who through no fault of their own, were forced to stop working. Many of them are eager to safely get back to work," Ritchie said in the letter.

"Given this fact, combined with our area's low infection rate, we are respectfully requesting that on May 15th our region immediately move to "Phase Two" of reopening. As mentioned, the people of our region have proven they are taking this pandemic seriously. Holding our region to the same standard as downstate, which like upstate is slated to reopen on May 15 under 'Phase One' guidelines, will only increase the severity of the economic damage resulting from the Coronavirus," Ritchie said.

As of press time Thursday, there was no indication that the governor would allow the North Country to skip to phase 2.

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