CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Friday, March 20, 2020
NYS Update:
Effective March 21, 2020, at 8 p.m. and until further notice, all barbershops, hair salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, and related personal care services will be closed to members of the public. This includes nail technicians, cosmetologists and estheticians, and the provision of electrolysis, and laser hair removal services.
In-person Work Environment
Gov. Cuomo’s Executive Order requiring in-person work environment restrictions are modified as follows. Effective Sunday, March 22, 2020, at 8 p.m. and until further notice all businesses and not-for-profit entities in the state shall utilize, to the maximum extent possible, any telecommuting or work from home procedures that they can safely utilize. Each employer shall reduce the in-person workforce at any work location by 100% no later than March 22nd at 8 p.m. Any essential business or entity providing essential services or functions shall not be subject to the in-person restrictions.
The following industries are considered essential entities and are EXEMPT from this
requirement:
- Essential health care operations including research and laboratory services, hospitals, walk-in care health facilities, veterinary and animal health services, elder care, medical wholesale and distribution, home health care workers or aides, doctor and dentist offices, nursing homes, or residential health care facilities or congregate-care facilities, medical supplies and equipment providers
- Essential infrastructure including utilities including power generation, fuel supply and transmission, public water and wastewater, telecommunications and data centers, airports/airlines, transportation infrastructure such as bus, rail, or for-hire vehicles, garages.
- Essential manufacturing including food processing, including all foods and beverages, chemicals, medical equipment/instruments, pharmaceuticals, safety and sanitary products,
telecommunications, microelectronics/semi-conductor, agriculture/farms, paper products - Essential retail including grocery stores including all food and beverage stores, pharmacies, convenience stores, farmer’s markets, gas stations, restaurants/bars (but only for takeout/delivery), hardware and building material stores
- Essential services including trash and recycling collection, processing and disposal, mail and shipping services, laundromats/dry cleaning, building cleaning and maintenance, child care services, auto repair, warehouse/distribution and fulfillment, funeral homes, crematoriums and cemeteries, storage for essential businesses, animal shelters or animal care or management
- News media
- Financial institutions including banks, insurance, payroll, accounting
- Providers of basic necessities to economically disadvantaged populations including homeless shelters and congregate-care facilities, food banks, human services providers whose function includes the direct care of patients in state-licensed or funded voluntary programs; the care, protection, custody and oversight of individuals both in the community and in state-licensed residential facilities; those operating community shelters and other critical human services agencies providing direct care or support
- Construction including skilled trades such as electricians, plumbers, other related construction firms and professionals for essential infrastructure or for emergency repair and safety purposes
- Defense and natural security-related operations supporting the U.S. Government or a contractor to
the US government - Essential services necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operations of residences or other essential businesses including, law enforcement, fire prevention and response, building code enforcement, security, emergency management and response, building cleaners or janitors, general maintenance whether employed by the entity directly or a vendor, automotive repair, disinfection, doormen
- Vendors that provide essential services or products, including logistics and technology
support, child care and services needed to ensure the continuing operation of government
agencies and provide for the health, safety and welfare of the public including, logistics,
technology support, child care programs and services, government-owned or leased buildings,
essential government services - Any business that only has a single occupant/employee (i.e. gas station) has been deemed exempt.
For additional information the following resources are available to you and your employees:
CDC: http://www.coronavirus.gov
Erie County: www.erie.gov/covid19
Monroe County: https://www2.monroecounty.gov/health-coronavirus
Niagara: https://www.niagaracounty.com/health/Services/Public-HealthPreparedness/NOVEL-CORONAVIRUS-2019-nCoV
NYSDOH: https://www.health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/