Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul stopped by local businesses in Syracuse on Wednesday to celebrate their re-opening, while defending why others like gyms, movies, and malls are stuck in Phase 4 limbo.
“It’s a concern of theirs and it’s a concern of ours, and I want to see them re-open,” she explained as she faced a barrage of questions on re-opening.
The COVID-19 pandemic has stripped some businesses of their livelihoods, forcing them to close. Those who were lucky enough to be able to re-open had prepared for an original opening date that never came.
The lieutenant governor said it hasn’t been canceled, just temporarily postponed.
“Phase 4 is going to continue to have announcements,” Hochul said, “not just the first day, necessarily, but something that wasn’t covered could easily be the second day, or the first week, second week.”
She mentioned gyms and malls are high-risk areas, as cleanliness and sanitation are harder than most businesses that have been allowed to re-open.
The question remained how outdoor seating in restaurants, and even indoor seating, was any different than the restaurants inside the mall.
“I don’t see a central air conditioning system,” Hochul said while pointing to people seated around her having a meal at one restaurant. “I don’t see a filtration system that could take the virus and recycle it through a system. I see natural air, and I think that’s the difference.”
To some, it could be the difference between staying open or closing their doors due to lack of income.
Hochul suggested that the government is trying to ease the burden of business owners who are waiting on the state’s decision.
“They can take out loans,” she explained, “or apply for unemployment. People who work part time are now eligible as well.”
“Sure, we would like this to be faster,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh said, “but we need to make sure we are being safe, so we support the state’s process.”
The biggest concern for officials is seeing a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, which is happening in states like Florida.
“To have to wait for a little longer for things to reopen, the pain that we have gone through in the past few months, is something that we never want to go back to,” said Walsh.
Local and state officials say they will continue to work together to find solutions, but they still have no clear answer as to when the other businesses will have a chance to re-open.