Reopening

Ontario has again extended the state of emergency because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-week extension follows another spike in coronavirus cases.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he’s outraged and disappointed over the continued looting of several stores that took place overnight in New York City, and he said that city’s mayor and police department did not do their jobs.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the mass protests in New York City and in upstate cities over the past few nights have been "counterproductive" to the cause of racial justice and may even reignite the spread of the coronavirus.

The five counties which make up the state's Western New York economic region must continue to wait for at least a few more days, while five other regions, including the Finger Lakes, have been given the green light to proceed to Phase Two of New York Forward. In the meantime, institutions which fall under Phase Two now have guidelines by which they can prepare.

With the possibility of bars and restaurants being allowed to open in three weeks, the City of Buffalo is rushing to help those establishments get ready, perhaps even to allow sidewalk and street closings to help.

Usually, this would be the time when there are bonfires on the beaches on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie, traffic building on the Peace Bridge and people talking about Sherkston. Not this year.

The Buffalo Common Council wants to give a break to many local bars and restaurants by changing the rules for outdoor eating and drinking.

The New York State Child Care Availability Task Force was established 18 months ago to dive into what officials call the child care "crisis" afflicting the state. After just a couple of months of pandemic, however, words like "devastation" and "decimation" are being used. Here are their interim findings and recommendations.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul is continuing her push to have Western New York residents follow the rules and keep COVID-19 at bay.

It is going to be very different at Canalside this Memorial Day, in the the first unofficial weekend of summer under COVID-19 rules.

Memorial Day weekend begins with it beaches opening up and other tentative steps to restart the economy. In his daily coronavirus briefing, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the reopenings can be done safely if people follow the rules.

A month ago, Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul said, the prospects were bleak for the region's economy to reopen in the foreseeable future. COVID-related deaths and hospitalization rates seemed to be increasing on a daily basis.  

Western New York has met all of the required metrics required by the state to begin the first phase of reopening from the shutdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced late Monday morning.

Several upstate regions of New York are poised to begin reopening Friday. Among them is central New York after Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday that it can now join the areas that are starting the first phase of a reopening.

Some businesses in New York State may reopen as early as mid to late May. Business leaders are putting together plans to try to operate safely and prevent spread of the coronavirus.