New York Governor Andrew Cuomo speaks inside of the New York Stock Exchange after earlier ringing the opening bell as the building opens for the first time since March while the outbreak COVID-19 continues in the Manhattan borough of New York, US.
REUTERS/Lucas Jackson

Beginning July 6, youngsters in New York can already play "low-risk" youth sports again, specifically in regions set to phase three reopening. This was announced on Sunday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Under the new directives, Times Union reported, the state is allowing at least six sports, which include "baseball and field hockey" with two visitors for each child. Other sports youths can engage in are gymnastics, cross country, and softball.

Contact sports, on the other hand, such as soccer, basketball, and football, were not included in the list of sports young people can start playing beginning the said date.

Any sports not permitted, the same news site specified, is undoubtedly to affect "any specialized summer sports camps," possibly looking for the go-signal to open.

Regions Entering Phase 3 Reopening in New York

Five of the upstate New York regions, which include the North Country and Mohawk Valley, have already entered phase three of reopening. Meanwhile, the Capital Region, reports said, is expected to follow suit on Wednesday

Governor Cuomo said young people can play sports again, with "two spectators" each child. This, Cuomo continued, "is another step towards the return to normalcy."

Under the present reopening scheme mandating at least two weeks in-between phases, nearly all New York regions are on their way to move to phase three reopening by July 6.

Businesses included in phase one reopening are manufacturing, construction, and curbside pickup at retailers. Phase two reopening, on the other hand, involves hair salons, professional offices, and retail stores. During phase three, reopening, services at tattoo parlors, nail salons, and other personal care businesses, and restaurants resume business.

Phase 3 Reopening in Time for Lower COVID-19 Cases

Entry to phase three reopening comes as COVID-19 statistics continue to drop statewide, specifically, as New York has continuously recorded low numbers for consecutive days in a row.

As of this writing, stat counted more than 20 confirmed deaths from the virus on Saturday and over 1,600 hospitalizations. Both numbers, according to reports, "are the lowest one-day totals" since the onset of the pandemic in the middle of March.

In addition, Cuomo said, as New York slowly recovers from the economic downturn, the state has observed the percentage tests that return positive every day to seek "a reaction to reopen." Relatively, around 1.1 percent of over 60,000 individuals tested for COVID-19 on Saturday had the virus.

The governor added, "You're looking for basic consistency," that if it goes down, he continued, "great." However, Cuomo also said, if it goes up, then, "That's bad."

But as the pandemic continues, said the Governor on Sunday, New York will then extend open enrollment in the health exchange of the state for 30 days more, now, until July 15.

Cuomo also cautioned, he will shut down the progress of reopening in localities that do not follow the safety and social distancing measures of the state for each phase. Officials, he stated, have already received more than 20,000 complaints of businesses, particularly bars and restaurants that don't abide by the state's rules.

The government leader specified that most of these complaints have come from "Manhattan and the Hamptons on Long Island."

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