#RestartingDutchess
Molinaro’s Latest Town Hall Highlights
Phase 3 and 4 Updates, Police Reform,
Fireworks and More
Poughkeepsie, NY… In his most recent online COVID-19 Town Hall and Telephone Town Hall, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro this evening highlighted Dutchess County’s continued success in the fight against COVID-19; discussed the latest updates in the “Restarting Dutchess” reopening process; and answered questions from residents as they viewed the event on the County’s Facebook page and called into the telephone town hall. The full online discussion can be viewed on Dutchess County Government’s YouTube page.
Highlights from the online Town Hall discussion included:
- County Executive Molinaro reviewed Dutchess County’s most recent COVID-19 data posted on the County’s COVID-19 data dashboard:
- 4,150 total confirmed cases
- 53,717 tests completed
- 183 current active cases
- 10 hospitalizations
- 151 deaths
- 3,816 recoveries
- The Mid-Hudson region, including Dutchess County, entered Phase 3 of the NY Forward re-opening process on Tuesday, June 23rd. Newly permissible businesses and activities in Phase 3 include indoor dining, food trucks and concessions, as well as personal care services, including tattoo and piercing facilities, massage therapy, spas, cosmetology, nail specialty, UV and non-UV tanning salons, and waxing facilities.
- New York State has provided new information relating to Phase 4, which is expected to begin in the Mid-Hudson Region on July 7th:
- Industries permitted to resume in Phase 4 include higher education, low-risk arts & entertainment and media production. Guidance is available on the NYForward website.
- Gathering capacity will increase to 50 people, up from the current 25 person maximum.
- Houses of worships will be able to increase capacity to 33%, up from the current 25% maximum.
- Malls, gyms and amusements will not be permitted as part of Phase 4. No opening date has been set by the state.
- Governor Cuomo also announced a tri-state travel advisory (New York, New Jersey and Connecticut) will go into effect at midnight June 25th requiring aall individuals traveling from states with significant community spread of COVID-19 to quarantine for a 14-day period from the time of last contact within the identified state. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from a state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average. Full announcement can be found here: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-governor-murphy-and-governor-lamont-announce-joint-incoming-travel-advisory-all
- Less than two weeks until Independence Day, County Executive Molinaro discussed the “Dutchess County Goes Renegade!” celebration on Saturday, July 4th. A collaboration between Dutchess County Government, the Hudson Valley Renegades, the Dutchess County Fairgrounds, Silo Ridge Field Club, sponsored by Central Hudson Gas & Electric and iHeartMedia of the Hudson Valley, “Dutchess County Goes Renegade!” will offer free socially distant fireworks displays on July 4th beginning at 9:30 p.m. at each of the following sites:
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- Dutchess Stadium in Fishkill
- Dutchess County Fairgrounds in Rhinebeck
- Silo Ridge Equestrian Center in Amenia
Gates will open at each venue at 7:30 p.m., and parking is limited at each site. No alcohol will be permitted at this carry-in/carry-out event, and residents are asked to remain near their car for the duration of the event.
- Ken Roman, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Emergency Response, joined County Executive Molinaro to discuss the County’s initiative to create a unified, countywide law enforcement plan, which will include reforms, policies and procedures deemed necessary “to eliminate racial inequities in policing, to modify and modernize policing strategies, policies, procedures, and practices, and to develop practices to better address the particular needs of communities of color to promote public safety, improve community engagement, and foster trust,” as enumerated in the Governor’s Executive Order No. 202, signed on June 12th. Such agreed-upon reforms will be put in place in every participating law enforcement agency. The County has begun the process of gathering stakeholders – leadership and membership of local law enforcement agencies, members of the community, interested non-profit and faith-based community groups, the district attorney, the public defender and local elected officials – to work more effectively and efficiently toward the shared goal of creating a fairer and safer future for all.
- County Executive Molinaro reminded residents the County’s Department of Behavioral and Community Health offers monthly virtual training in Narcan, the life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Training is held on the fourth Wednesday of each month, takes less than an hour, and participants receive a free Narcan kit upon completion. Residents can register for the monthly trainings by calling (845) 243-4428 or emailing llevine@dutchessny.gov.
County Executive Molinaro will host the next Town Hall on Friday, June 26th at 2 p.m., streamed live LaGrange Town Hall and Supervisor Alan Bell will join the conversation.
As with all previous online town hall forums, the June 26th event will be broadcast live on the Dutchess County Government Facebook page, and American Sign Language interpreters will translate the conversation. For information on how to participate and view past online COVID-19 community conversations, view the County’s Coronavirus webpage.
Dutchess County Government continues to provide residents the most current information on its COVID-19 Community Impact Dashboard, as well as guidance on its website, dutchessny.gov/coronavirus, its Coronavirus hotline, (845) 486-3555, and its Facebook and Twitter accounts.
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