Update: June 25, 8 a.m.
According to a report in The New York Times, the State of Washington has been dropped from the list after a review of the data.
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Unsure as to how Phase Four of New York’s business reopening plan will unfold, Genesee County legislators tonight were informed of another fresh development from the desk of Gov. Andrew Cuomo – a joint advisory mandating a 14-day quarantine of individuals traveling from states with “significant community spread” of COVID-19.
County Manager Jay Gsell reported on a press release issued earlier today that New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have joined forces to impose the order on those returning to their states from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a seven-day rolling average, or a state with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a seven-day rolling average.
Gsell said the advisory, which takes effect at midnight, currently affects travelers coming back from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Utah, Texas and Washington.
“This has caught everybody by surprise,” Gsell said during the legislature’s regular meeting at the Old Courthouse. “Hopefully, clarity will be forthcoming, but it is causing a great deal of concern and consternation.”
Gsell wondered out loud how this travel advisory will be handled at the local level and who will be responsible for discovering if someone or a group of people have returned from one of the aforementioned states.
It puts a lot of pressure on the hotel operators, he said.
Cuomo teamed with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont at a press conference today to announce the action.
“We've been working with our neighbors in New Jersey and Connecticut throughout this entire pandemic, and we're announcing a joint travel advisory that says people coming in from states with a high infection rate must quarantine for 14 days,” Cuomo said.
The press release noted that the three state leaders will provide frequent updates and “publish on their respective websites a list of states to which the new advisory applies.”
It went on to state that the measure will use uniform parameters and messaging on highways, airports, websites and social media across the three states. The three states will also ask hotels to communicate the 14-day quarantine to guests who have traveled from one of the impacted states.
Gsell also speculated that the “compact,” as he called it, could be expanded to place quarantine mandates for travelers returning to other states bordering or in close proximity to New York.
Reportedly, a $2,000 fine may be assessed to first-time violators, with the fine increasing to $10,000 if the violator(s) harm others by ignoring the quarantine.
On Tuesday, it was announced that the Finger Lakes Region will move into Phase Four on Friday, but the type of businesses that can reopen are limited to low-risk outdoor and indoor museums, art galleries, historical venues and zoos, as well as media production companies.
Click here for a story posted this morning on The Batavian.
In county business, the legislature passed the following resolutions:
-- Acceptance of $11,956 from the Office of Justice Bulletproof Vest Program for the purchase of body armor for sheriff’s deputies and correction officers. Sheriff William Sheron previously indicated the funding will cover about a dozen bulletproof vests.
-- A contract for $97,083.39 with Johnson Controls of Rochester to replace fire alarms and a contract for $47,766.25 with Chemung Supply Corp. of Elmira to replace the bridge decking of the McLernon Road bridge in the Town of Bethany. A capital project has been established for the bridge replacement, with the local share of $50,600 to be used to cover the cost.
-- Scheduling of a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 22 at the Old Courthouse for Genesee Community College’s proposed operating budget for 2020-21. Genesee County contributes $2,636,374 to the college’s $38.1 million spending plan.
-- Elimination of computer support technician and systems specialist positions as part of an organizational restructuring of the technology department. The two employees in those jobs currently are furloughed. The estimated cost savings in salary and benefits in 2020 is $63,613 (not including the furlough) and in 2021 is $152,671.
-- Requiring proof of liability insurance in the amount of at least $1 million from Genesee Country Farmers’ Market, the Batavia Improvement District, and the City of Batavia in order for the county Office for the Aging to distribute state Health Department Farmers’ Market vouchers to customers and set up an information table at the Genesee Country Farmers’ Market at the Alva Place parking lot from June 30-Oct. 2.
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July is Park and Recreation Month
Photo: The Genesee County Legislature tonight designated July as Park and Recreation Month. Displaying the proclamation are, from left, Shannon Lyaski, Conservation Education Program coordinator; Paul Osborn, deputy superintendent Facilities, Parks, Recreation & Forestry, and Tim Hens, superintendent. Facilities, Parks, Recreation & Forestry. Photo by Mike Pettinella.
