Long Island Goes Into Phase 3 On Wednesday – What Does It Mean?

Jun 20

Long Island is gearing up for the third phase of reopening from the coronavirus shutdown, despite Gov. Andrew Cuomo warning this week that he could roll back reopening after complaints of social distancing violations.

Phase three includes indoor dining capped at 50 percent capacity, and personal care, such as nail salons, tattoo parlors, massage therapists, and spas.

“Long Island is on track for Wednesday,” the governor told reporters during his daily coronavirus news briefing.

Much of upstate New York, which was less impacted by COVID-19 than the downstate regions, has already entered phase three. The only region lagging behind LI is harder-hit New York City, which enters phase two on Monday.

If there is no spike in COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations between the phases, LI is expected to reach the fourth and final phase of reopening on July 8. Phase four includes education, recreation, and arts and entertainment.

Cuomo’s comment on the Island’s progress comes after he said the Hamptons and Manhattan led the state in complaints of violations of mask and social distancing requirements that continue to be in effect during the reopening.

The governor had warned that he could “roll back the reopening in those areas” if local governments and restaurant owners fail to enforce the law. He also warned that restaurants risk their liquor license if they incur violations.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said his office was unaware of the complaints and indicated that police have reported widespread compliance with the pandemic-prevention rules. Neither the governor’s office nor the New York State Liquor Authority responded to requests of what specific businesses on LI received complaints.