Chappaqua’s Mask Law, Phase 4 & more…

Chappaqua’s Mask Law, Phase 4 & more: In the wake of a Coronavirus outbreak stemming from a high school graduation ceremony and subsequent parties that resulted in 19 COVID cases, the New Castle Town Board has introduced a local law to require residents to wear face masks “at all times and in all places when they are unable to maintain social distance.” The law would authorize local police to issue $250 fines for first offense violations and $500 for repeat offenses. The Town Board also passed a resolution, currently in effect, to require face masks on town property. The Town Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed Local Law on Tuesday, July 14^th at 7PM.

In proposing the law, the board cited Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.17 issued on April 15 that required individuals “over the age of 2 and able to medically tolerate a face covering to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or cloth face covering when in a public place and unable to maintain social distancing.” The Board also cited community calls since the “Chappaqua COVID Cluster”  in support of local enforcement of Cuomo’s Executive Order. Because the Governor’s Executive Order did not propose any enforcement mechanisms, and because New Castle Police Chief Jim Carroll determined that there were no existing citations on the books that were specific to the Governor’s order, a new law citing specific penalties would be required.

The Board emphasized, in their announcement, that their primary goal is voluntary compliance and they urge residents to continue to maintain physical distancing and limit gatherings to 25 or fewer people.

New York City Enter Phase 3 sans Indoor Dining

New York City officially enters Phase 3 on Monday, July 6. This opens everything from nail salons and spas to outdoor areas such as dog parks, basketball and tennis courts, the 9/11 Memorial – and the High Line is scheduled to open next week. However, indoor dining will remain on pause despite its inclusion in Phase 3 rollouts in the rest of the state.

Westchester Enters Phase 4 minus Malls, Movies & Gyms

The Mid-Hudson Regions, which included Westchester County joined seven upstate regions in entering Phase 4 on July 7. , Long Island will enter Phase 4 tomorrow. Phase 4 reopens low-risk outdoor arts and entertainment activities including zoos, botanical gardens, historic sites, outdoor museums and parks. For us that means, the New York Botanical Garden, Storm King Art Center, the Dia Museum in Beacon and Caramoor to name a few. Colleges and Universities also can reopen in Phase 4, as well as professional sports but without fans in the stands. Gatherings of up to 50 people are allowed in Phase 4, and indoor religious gatherings can operate at 33% capacity – up from 25 percent in Phase 3.

However, the opening of movie theaters, gyms and fitness centers and shopping malls, originally included in Phase 4, were peeled back by Cuomo last week. In fact, Governor Cuomo announced last week that New York malls will not be allowed to reopen until they install new high-efficiency venting systems. This has sent store operators into an uproar throughout the state as they question the rationale behind allowing standalone department stores to reopen but not malls. Mall stores that have an outdoor entrances are allowed to open.

NYS DOH COVID Tracker

COVID information that has been dizzying from the start is no less so now with news of local reopening juxtaposed with news of dramatic resurgences in states like California, Florida, Texas and Arizona. So we thought we would take a peak at the NYS DOH COVID tracker to see where we are. Four weeks ago, we reported that the state’s COVID infection rate stood at 1.2% as many regions, including Westchester’s Mid-Hudson region was entering Phase 2. On June 7, just over 58,000 New Yorkers were tested for Coronavirus with 702 positives – or 1.2%. That weekend, Westchester County had 706 new cases reported from 6500 tests, also 1.2%. On Sunday July 5, NYS DOH reported 506 new cases statewide from 54,328 test – .093%. Westchester had 41 new cases on Sunday from 3,639 tests. At the pandemic’s peak on March 25, Westchester saw 1253 new COVID cases – 21% of the tests that day. Statewide almost 4.3 million New Yorkers have been tested, 22% of the state’s 19.45 million population.

Connecticut Malls and Public Entertainment Spaces are Open

Meanwhile malls in both Connecticut and New Jersey have reopened with mandatory mask requirements, extensive physical distancing measures and rampant sanitizer stations including at entrances to many stores. And Connecticut’s public entertainment spaces such as movie theaters, museums, casinos and more are open. That means the Bow Tie Criterion in Greenwich is open. And The Ridgefield Playhouse is also presenting a full schedule of kids’ flicks, National Theatre Live, Metropolitan Opera Live and Bolshoi Ballet productions in HD. The Bruce Museum in Greenwich has reopened and extended their On the Edge of the World: Masterworks by Laurits Anderson Ring from the National Gallery of Denmark through August 9. The Aldrich Museum has also reopened with the first solo exhibition of sculptor Eva LeWitt (daughter of Sol LeWitt, a pioneer in the Conceptual Art and Minimalist art movements) Untitled (Mesh A-J)  that will run through August 23. Finally, the Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk and the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos are open. The Stamford Palace remains shuttered through August 27th. Stepping Stones Museum for Children is also closed.