Cuomo clear on gyms & movie theaters – not so much on schools

Cuomo clear on gyms & movie theaters – not so much on schools: At his Monday morning press conference today, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that health clubs and gyms in New York State can reopen on August 24 under the following guidelines. Masks must be worn at all times in the gym. (That means even when you are on treadmills.) Temperature checks will be required at the door as well as sign-in forms to facilitate contact tracing. Finally, gyms must operate at 33% capacity and their ventilating systems must be outfitted with Merv-13 filters.

Additionally local governments are required to inspect all gyms before they reopen and the localities are required to complete their gym inspections no later than September 2. Finally, local governments will decide whether gyms can reopen classes in addition to their gym floors. While Cuomo’s announcement was good news for gym owners and gym rats, there was no reciprocal good news for film buffs – as the Governor offered no timeline for the reopening of movie theaters. Cuomo suggested that the distinctions between reopening  gyms and movie theaters is about deciding what is most essential in people’s lives. “Who has the bible on essential? Nobody!” the Governor said. But, “today gyms are more essential than movie theaters.”

“I said that schools can reopen. I didn’t say how. Or when.”

When it came to discussing school openings, however, Cuomo raised more questions than he answered. Speaking just four days before the final deadline for school district’s to rework their reopening plans for the fall, Cuomo said “Bureaucrats will not be making the decision,” (about school openings) “teachers and parents will.” Offering that he has had many phone calls from parents who are concerned about testing and safety, Cuomo said “Until they’re comfortable, they’re not sending their child back. And they’re not comfortable.”

The Governor said parents are confused about how schools are going to screen and test students for COVID. District’s are required to complete three to five public sessions with parents and teachers by Friday if they want to open their schools.  And they must post their plans for remote learning, testing and tracing on their website by Friday, August 21. Cuomo also said that if there is a COVID spread in a reopened school, the State would shut the school down. However, he did not offer a numeric indicator the state would use to close a school.

He further expressed frustration on the specificity of school plans that the New York State Department of Health has received. Reacting to some schools submission of plans for “blended programs”, he said “Blended programs? What does that mean? How do you make it work?” “I said that schools can reopen. I didn’t say how. Or when.”

All schools will be notified about the status of the plans they have submitted today. Districts that fail to meet this Friday’s deadline will be unable to provide in-person learning this year.

We previously reported on initial plans local schools submitted to NYSDOH on August 7.