Information That Affects You
On May 15, the New York On-Pause order ended for the Southern Tier.
The ending of the order initiated the first phase of four in opening New York.
Phase one allowed manufacturing and construction workers to return to work. It also allowed retail locations to open up of they provide curbside pick-up.
Additionally, some municipalities have opened their offices, parks and more.
Binghamton:
- Curfew requiring residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. except for essential travel ended on May 16
- Suspension of the City’s blue bag requirement for refuse collection ended on May 16
- Suspension of parking meter enforcement and code enforcement violations in non-emergency / public safety situations ended on Ma 16
Owego:
- Town Hall opening May 18
- Hickories Park and Hickories Park bathrooms May 18
Town of Union:
- Town of Union refuse and recycling service returns to normal collection schedule May 18
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– Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today(Mon 5/11) the Southern Tier is ready to reopen on May 15 when the state’s New York On-Pause Order ends.
As of May 11, the Southern Tier meets all the criteria for reopening.
On May 15, as part of phase one of reopening, manufacturing and construction workers will be able to return work. Additionally, Cuomo says some retail locations may open if they can provide curbside pick-up.
– The American Hockey League today (Mon 5/11) has officially cancelled the remainder of the 2019-20 regular season and the 2020 Calder Cup Playoffs due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health crisis
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– Governor Andrew Cuomo announced Monday, May 4th, that the New York On-Pause Plan will expire May 15 for regions that meet reopening criteria.
Reopening criteria includes:
- 14-day decline in hospitalizations or under 15 new hospitalizations (three-day average)
- 14-day decline in hospital deaths or fewer than five deaths (three-day average)
- New hospitalizations under two per 100,000 residents (three-day rolling average)
- Share of total hospital beds must not be lower than 30 percent
- Share of ICU beds available must not be lower than 30 percent
- 30 per 1,000 residents tested monthly (7-day average of new tests per day)
- Must have 30 contact tracers per 100,000 people
Additionally, regions that do reopen will need to reopen in four phases.
Phase One is the reopening of manufacturing, construction and some retails location. Retail locations must offer curbside pick-up.
Phase Two is the reopening of professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support and real estate/rental leasing.
Phase Three is the opening of restaurants, food services and hotels.
Phase Four is the reopening of arts, entertainment, recreation and education.
Phase One will begin May 15. Dates for other phases were not announced.
Cuomo also announced Monday the number of new COVID-19 cases is the state continues to decline.
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– Broome County Executive Jason Garnar today May 1st, announced that he had lifted the unnecessary travel order that has been in place since Tuesday, March 17.
While the order has been lifted, Garnar is advising residents to stay at home as much as possible.
Garnar also talked about the reopening plan. He said he is confident the plan will be ready in 10 days.
Additionally, Garnar says county buildings are open as of Friday and all visitors must wear a face mask or cover.
– Governor Cuomo announces today, may 1st, all schools are closed for the remainder of the year ….
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– PGA TOUR Champions and the DICK’S Sporting Goods Open announced today that due to the severity of the ongoing health crisis related to COVID-19 in New York state, the 2020 event, originally scheduled for August 10-16, will be canceled. Individual ticket purchases can be refunded by calling the tournament office at 607-205-1500 (Ext. 301) or emailing the tournament staff at info@DSGOpen.com.
– Binghamton University has been designated as a drive-through COVID-19 testing site for Broome County.
On Wednesday (4/29), large tents could be seen set up outside the Events Center on the Vestal campus. The university confirms that those tents will be where testing will take place.
The state has expanded the criteria to get tested to include first responders, healthcare workers, and essential employees even if they are not symptomatic.
Previously, testing was only available to those who showed severe symptoms. Testing capacity has since expanded.
The tents are set up in lots F, F1, and F3. Part of lot H will also be closed until further notice.
The university is says anyone coming to campus for a reason other than getting tested should avoid the area of the tents and follow all traffic signs.
– Mayor Rich David announced Wednesday (4/29) a two-week extension of several City measures created in response to COVID-19, including the nightly curfew and the suspension of the City’s blue bag refuse collection requirements, through May 15.
– Governor Cuomo announced Wednesday (4/29) that some counties, including Broome County, will allow its hospitals to perform elective surgeries again after previously banning them. Cuomo says in order for hospitals to perform elective surgeries, the county they are in must not foresee a significant surge of COVID-19 cases.
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On Friday, April 17, the Town of Vestal declared that it would be extending its State of Emergency due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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– The Historic Owego Marketplace (HOM), its Board Of Directors, Members and Strawberry Festival Committee have announced the postponement of the 40th Anniversary of the Owego Strawberry Festival until 2021.
– New Yorkers MUST wear masks or face coverings on public transportation systems and while taking private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles. Additionally, all operators of public systems, private carriers and for-hire vehicles must wear a mask or face covering at all times while working. These directives expand on the Executive Order announced yesterday requiring everyone in New York to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained. The order will go into effect on Friday, April 17th, at 8 PM.
– “New York on PAUSE” will be extended until May 15th. This action is taken in consultation with other regional states. Non-essential workers must continue to stay home and social distancing rules remain in place. Governor Cuomo will re-evaluate after this additional closure period.
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Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order requiring all people in New York to wear a mask or a face covering when out in public and in situations where social distancing cannot be maintained, such as on public transportation. The Executive Order will go into effect on Friday. Remember that wearing a face covering does not mean you can ignore other precautions – All New Yorkers are to stay at home for all but essential errands.
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To prevent the spread of the virus, essential workers must have access to appropriate face coverings Governor Cuomo issued an Executive Order directing employers to provide essential workers with cloth or surgical masks free of charge to wear when directly interacting with the public. _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
– The Internal Revenue Service is launching a new website that will let American citizens check on the status of their stimulus payment.
The new site, called Get My Payment, will launch on April 17th.
The site will show people when their check (direct deposit) is scheduled to arrive, the address it is being mailed to (or, bank account it is supposed to be deposited), and it will allow people to submit needed information to the IRS.
Get more details HERE
– An additional $200 million in emergency food assistance will be available for more than 700,000 low-income households enrolled in SNAP. Those enrolled in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) who are not yet receiving the maximum benefit will receive an additional payment to bring them up to this amount in March and April. The supplemental benefits will be issued in April and delivered directly to recipients’ existing EBT accounts.
– New Yorkers struggling financially should have full access to their stimulus payments. Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a letter calling on the U.S. Treasury to ensure New Yorkers do not have their stimulus payments frozen by banks or seized by creditors as soon as they arrive.
– A reminder that price gouging is illegal. New York has zero tolerance for price gouging connected to COVID-19 and the NY Department of Consumer Protection is investigating reports of unfair price increases on products like cleaning supplies and hand sanitizer. To report suspected price gouging, call 1-800-697-1220 or file a complaint online at https://www.dos.ny.gov/consumerprotection/.
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The Levene Gouldin & Thompson Tennis Challenger has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The announcement follows the Association of Tennis Professional’s decision to suspend all tennis events globally until July 13. Organizers say professional tennis will return to Binghamton in 2021 as part of the USTA Pro Circuit.
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Regarding the recent drive-around birthday party trend, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar today (Fri 4/11) said , “I do want to reiterate that there is a ‘no unnecessary travel’ order, and the governor has issued emergency orders basically banning, whether public or private, non-essential gatherings. And what that means, and again, what we’ve seen is, you can’t have drive-around birthday parties and any types of parades.”
New Yorkers could be fined for failure to comply.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo updated his executive order on Thursday (4/9) morning, adding golf courses to the list of non-essential businesses. Before golf courses were added to the list, many were still open across the state. This means that all golf courses must close until Wednesday, April 29.
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The State Department of Labor will immediately make $600 in additional weekly unemployment benefits available to all New Yorkers. New York is also extending the period covered by unemployment benefits for another 13 weeks, for a total of 39 weeks. A reminder for those who have difficulty enrolling for UI: any claim you file will be backdated to the date you became unemployed. If you are eligible, you will be paid all benefits due.
Governor Cuomo will issue an Executive Order to ensure New Yorkers can vote by absentee ballot in the June 23rd elections. He previously issued an Executive Order to move the presidential primary election from April 28 to June 23rd, aligning it with the congressional and legislative primaries in New York.
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Governor Cuomo is increasing the maximum fine for violations of the state’s social distancing protocol from $500 to $1,000. This increase is targeted at any lack of adherence to social distancing protocols. Now is not the time to be lax about distance. Localities have the authority to enforce the protocols and they need to do so.
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Governor Andrew Cuomo today (Mon 4/6) announced that all New York State schools and non-essential businesses will remain closed until April 29. Previously, they were closed until April 15.
Additionally, the New York State Department of Education has canceled Regents exams for this school year. Students are usually required to pass these exams to graduate high school.
the governor also says projection models are indicating the state will need fewer than the anticipated 110,000 hospital beds. Cuomo says this is a sign social-distancing protocols have been working so far but urged New Yorkers to keep it up. He added anyone caught not following social-distancing guidelines can be fined $1000.
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The State COVID-19 tracker now includes more comprehensive demographics. The website, www.ny.gov/covid-19tracker, now includes additional data on the gender distribution of positive cases, as well as fatalities by age group.
A mental health hotline is available to New Yorkers who need it. We can’t underestimate the impact this pandemic is having on mental health. New Yorkers can call the state’s hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to get free emotional support, consultations and referrals to a provider.
A reminder that pharmacies offer free home delivery of prescriptions to New Yorkers. Pharmacies, including Walgreens and CVS, have agreed to offer free home delivery of prescriptions to help reduce long lines. New Yorkers can easily get the prescriptions they need without putting themselves or others at risk.
The village of Johnson City says it will enforce social-distancing guidelines at its parks in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The office of Johnson City Mayor Greg Deemie says it has removed rims from basketball hoops, swings from swing sets and placed caution tape around playgrounds.
Village officials say they expect more people to use the parks as the weather gets warmer.
The parks remain available for use to the public but athletic areas and sporting fields are closed. They say Floral Ave Park is an exception and is not accessible.
On Monday, the city of Binghamton announced it was going discourage social gatherings at its parks.
The following is a list of guidelines when using parks:
- Stay local and keep visits short
- Visits should be solitary, or with small groups only
- Be ready to move quickly through places where people congregate
- Avoid activities where you may come in close contact with other people
- Stay home if you do not feel well
- Stay home if you are over 70 and or from a vulnerable population
- If you arrive at a park and crowds are forming, choose a different park or return another time to visit
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Governor Andrew Cuomo announced in a press conference that the New York State on PAUSE plan will be extended on Sunday, March 3oth.
Governor Cuomo implemented a 10-point plan on Sunday, March 22, including that all non-essential employees must work from home and offices must close. Practicing social distancing no matter where you are is an important part of the 10-point plan.
The New York State on PAUSE plan will be extended through April 15 and the state will re-evaluate at that point. Governor Cuomo stressed that the non-essential workforce should extend working from home until that date as well.
Additionally, Governor Cuomo issued an executive order to allow schools to host day care free of charge.
Cuomo also announced that pharmacies have agreed to offer free delivery to reduce long lines at their facilities.
Check the New York State website for updates.
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Sunday, March 30th .. President Trump extended federal social-distancing guidelines to April 30 — from Easter Sunday on April 12
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From The NYS DMV .. Vehicle safety and emission inspections set to expire on March 31, 2020 or later will be extended until further notice during the COVID – 19 emergency.
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo made an announcement Friday (27th) morning, deciding that New York school districts will remain closed for another two weeks. Around April 15th, the Governor will re-evaluate the situation again.
All school meals and distance learning will continue.
Broome County Executive Jason Garnar announced today (Thursday, March 26th) that he will be closing the bus station in downtown Binghamton, effective 12 AM Friday (27th).
The order is put in place to make sure nobody is coming into Broome County who doesn’t live in the county.
Garnar also announced that he’s reaching out to hotels and landlords to make sure everyone is complying.
In county transit will continue to run as it has been.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has issued an order that will go into effect Sunday evening (03-22-2020) that puts stoppage to all non-essential employees reporting to work. for a full list of non-essential workers, CLICK HERE
NY, PA, CT, and NJ will temporarily close all indoor portions of retail shopping malls, amusement parks and bowling alleys effective tomorrow(03.19.2020) at 8PM.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is ordering the closing of licensed cosmetology shops effective Saturday, March 21 at 8 p.m.
The shops affected include hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, tattoo or piercing parlors. There is no end date to the closures.
Mayor Rich David had put Binghamton into a curfew. 10pm to 5am no travel, stay indoors. This will be policed and enforced.
The Town of Vestal is under State of Emergency for the next 30 days (beginning March 18th) or until the or order is rescinded. … On Friday, April 17, the Town of Vestal declared that it would be extending its State of Emergency …
From the Village of Johnson City has issued a State of Emergency
Your Home Public Library is closed till further notice.
Johnson City Village Court is closed till further notice.
All municipal buildings are closed to the public but staff is available to answer phone calls and email.
The Village of Endicott is under State of Emergency
Village offices are Closed to the public employees are still required to come in until further notice to collect payments over the phone deposit or at drop-box locations.
Businesses have been encouraged to have all employees work from home until further notice.
No gatherings of more than 50 are allowed at this time
All Restaurants Closed for dine-in and will be open for take out only.
All bars are closed
School Closures
Broome County School Districts are closed immediately until April 13.
Tioga County School Districts are closed immediately until April 14.
Delaware County School Districts are closed March 18 until April 4.
Catholic Schools of Broome County are closed March 16 to April 13.
Chenango County School Districts are closed Monday, March 16.
ACHIEVE Day Habilitation Services Canceled. Staff should report.
Broome County Library closing at 6pm thru March 29th
Beginning March 17th, all Tompkins County Public Library programs with an expected attendance of more than 35 people have been canceled.
CANCELLED MARCH EVENTS
All events, sports games and scheduled performances at Binghamton University are canceled.
BCMEA All-County Music Festival canceled.
Ethics Conference (SUNY Broome)
Southern Tier Scholastic Science Fair (SUNY Broome)
Cayuga Chamber Orchestra Orchestral Finale canceled.
Paint the Ice/Hockey for Hope (SUNY Broome)
St. Michael’s Lenten Pirohi Sale
Paint the Ice/Hockey for Hope (SUNY Broome)
Home and Garden Show at BU canceled.
Night to Shine prom for people with special needs has been canceled.
Cornell University’s “Sit! Stay! Read!” program at the Tompkins County Public Library
New York State Education Department’s Graduation measures Regional Meetings are postponed.
CANCELLED APRIL EVENTS
Brothers for the Cross Monthly Meeting
St. Michael’s Lenten Pirohi Sale
Destination Imagination (SUNY Broome)
St John the Baptist Ukrainian Orthodox Church(JC) Easter Bake Sale Canceled
St. Michael’s Lenten Pirohi Sale
Children’s Charity Easter Egg Hunt canceled.
American Heart Association Heart Walk (SUNY Broome)
Martin Luther King, Jr. Career Fair (SUNY Broome)
Earth Fest (SUNY Broome)
Here is a complete list of Broome County facilities now closed to the public:
•Broome County Office Building
Office for Aging
▪Walk-ins will not be accepted during the closure. Those in need of assistance should call (607) 778-2411.
Clerk’s Office
– including DMVs
The Legislature Office
– Can be contacted by phone at (607) 778-2131 or by e-mail at LegClerk@BroomeCounty.us.
Legislators can be contacted via phone and e-mail. Contact information can be found on the Legislature’s website www.gobroomecounty.com/legis.
Office of Management and Budget/Treasury
▪Tax certificates will be available at the tax drop off site. ▪You must include prepayment for tax certificates. Payments should be by check or money order. Please identify a parcel number or include a phone number on your check. ▪To determine the amount of delinquent taxes owed, call (607) 778-2161 or (607) 778- 2238. Receipts will be mailed
Personnel
– Civil Service exams postponed until further notice. Call (607) 778-2185.
Real Property Tax Services
▪Residents who need to make tax payments should call the Real Property Tax Service in advance to determine the details of their payment. Payments should be mailed in. Payments that must be dropped off in person should be deposited in a drop-box located in the lobby of the County Office Building. Call (607) 778-2169 with questions
Security
▪Call (607) 778-2107 if you need assistance.
Veterans Services
▪Not taking appointments at this time
▪If you need assistance call (607) 778-2147.
•Broome County Dog Shelter
•Broome County DPW Highway
•Broome County Forum Theatre
•Broome County Health Department
-WIC Clinic, Tuberculosis Clinic and Cancer Services Program by appointment only
-Environmental Health Permits by mail and drop box at entrance
•Broome County Office for Aging Senior Centers
•Broome County Office of Emergency Services
•Broome County Public Library
•Career and Community Services Center of Broome County
•George R. Harvey Justice Building
-If you have an appointment with the District Attorney’s office, call (607) 778-2423 for an update.
-If you need assistance contact your probation officer with questions, or call (607) 778-2121.
-Message from the Public Defender’s Office: Defendants are advised to contact the office by phone to schedule an intake interview at (607) 778-2403.
•Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena
•Willow Point Rehabilitation and Nursing Center
-Willow Point’s restrictions on visitation announced last week remain in effect.
The following departments remain open:
•Board of Elections
-Residents should call before arriving.
•Broome County Landfill
•Broome County Parks
•Broome County Transit
•Greater Binghamton Airport
-Flights will continue as scheduled.
•The Department of Social Services
-As of Monday, March 23, 2020, all consumer appointments at Broome County DSS for non-emergency purposes are suspended. We will continue providing assistance in our offices to those with emergency needs such as homelessness, eviction, and disconnected utilities.
Shopping for Supplies and Food:
Dollar General – 8am -(Closing time varies by location) – 1st hour dedicated to seniors and high risk shoppers
Wegmans – 7am -10pm – 1st hour dedicated to seniors and high risk shoppers
Price Chopper-6am-10pm
Walmart (Johnson City) 7am-8:30pm (Every Tuesday Senior Shopping Event- 6am-7am until April 28th)
Walmart (Vestal) – 7am-8:30pm (Every Tuesday Senior Shopping Event- 6am-7am until April 28th)
Aldi’s (all locations) – 9am-7pm
Weis Markets – 7am-9pm
Target – 7am -9pm – 1st hour dedicated to seniors and high risk shoppers
Windsor Big M – 9am -3pm – Seniors and immunocompromised citizens shopping program available, Call 607-655-3966 with shopping list for a pick up time and delivery to your car.
