FAQ: How Long Island's economy is reopening

Phase 1 includes low-risk businesses involved in construction, manufacturing and wholesale trade, agriculture, fishing, forestry and hunting, and select retail for curbside or in-store pickup or drop-off. Businesses in both Nassau and Suffolk counties will be part of this reopening.

Eight other sections of New York State have already started to reopen: the Capital Region, Central New York, Finger Lakes, mid-Hudson, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Southern Tier and Western New York. The only other region yet to reopen is New York City.

Residential/commercial construction:

• All workers must have masks and wear them when within 6 feet of another worker.
• Employers must provide masks to all employees.
• No congregate meetings.

Retail business owners — curbside pickup

• Employee and purchaser in vehicle must wear a mask, and gloves are preferred.
• Hand sanitizer must be made available.

Retail business owners — in-store pickup

• Requires ordering ahead with prearranged orders.
• Social distancing required in store.
• No more than 50% of maximum occupancy.
• Patrons must wear masks.
• Store employees must wear masks, and gloves are preferred.
• Hand sanitizer must be made available.

To begin reopening, Long Island had to meet seven critical metrics, including a decline in COVID-19 deaths, total hospitalizations and new hospitalizations. Regions must also have at least 30% of their total hospital beds and ICU beds available to prepare for a potential second wave of coronavirus cases. And regions must have diagnostic testing capacity to detect and isolate new cases, along with robust contact-tracing capacity to help prevent the spread of the virus by rapidly interviewing new positive patients.

The second phase would involve the reopening of businesses involved in professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, real estate, rental, and leasing.

Phase 3 would involve the reopening of restaurants and other food services, while the fourth and final phase would allow for the reopening of sports, entertainment and the arts, along with schools.

There will be at least two weeks in between each phase, though state and local officials have recently indicated there may be flexibility. This allows state and local leaders to monitor the effects of the reopening and ensure hospitalization and infection rates are not increasing before moving to the next phase and permitting more economic activity.

Businesses considered more essential, and with inherent low risks of infection in the workplace and to customers, are prioritized. They are followed by other businesses considered less essential or those that present a higher risk of infection spread. As the infection rate declines, the pace of reopening businesses will be increased, state officials said.