An upstate New York barber who was giving haircuts to clients in violation of the governor’s coronavirus lockdown has tested positive for COVID-19.
Ulster County released a statement on Wednesday indicating that the infected barber worked at a barber shop on Broadway in the town of Kingston, which lies about 20 miles north of Poughkeepsie.
The county health commissioner is advising anyone who received a haircut in a barber shop in Kingston sometime over the course of the past three weeks to get tested for the coronavirus.
Authorities did not identify the barber or the business that was affected.
A Google search of barber shops on Broadway in Kingston reveals that there are four locations.
Barber shops, nail salons, and beauty parlors are considered nonessential businesses that were ordered shut down by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
The barber shop which was operating in violation of stay-at-home orders was located on Broadway (seen above) in Kingston, New York, about 20 miles north of Poughkeepsie
The county health commissioner is advising anyone who received a haircut at the barber shop in the past three weeks to get tested for the coronavirus
Five regions of New York State have met the criteria to begin to gradually reopen their businesses, the governor announced this week
Earlier this week, Cuomo announced that Central New York, Fulton County, Montgomery County, Schoharie County, the Mohawk Valley, the Southern Tier, and the Finger Lakes regions may gradually reopen their businesses beginning on Friday.
The second phase of the reopening – which is expected to happen two weeks from today – is to allow office workers back to work once businesses submit plans for social distancing.
The third phase, due to start two weeks after that, incorporates restaurants and the fourth phase is to allow entertainment services to resume.
Cuomo said that these regions have so far met the criteria to begin to resume economic activity.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo (pictured in his press briefing on Thursday) has extended the state-wide coronavirus lockdown to June 13
The governor will only allow regions who have met certain metrics to reopen. Regions must demonstrate consistent declines in new hospitalization, COVID-19-related deaths, and hospital occupancy in order restart nonessential businesses.
Ulster County has not met the criteria, though the governor did allow the county and dozens of others across the state to resume elective surgeries.
According to the latest state figures, nearly 1,500 residents of the county have tested positive for COVID-19.
‘We are taking extraordinary measures to try and minimize the spread of this dangerous disease,’ Ulster County Health Commissioner Dr. Carol Smith said.
‘Learning that a barbershop has been operating illicitly for weeks with a COVID-19 positive employee is extraordinarily disheartening.
‘As much as we would all like to go out and get a professional haircut, this kind of direct contact has the potential to dramatically spread this virus throughout our community and beyond.’
Nonessential businesses that operate during the lockdown are subject to maximum fines of $1,000, though it is unclear if this particular barber shop was fined.
Cuomo on Thursday extended the state-wide coronavirus stay-at-home order until June 13.
The governor initially put the New York State on PAUSE plan in place in March. It was due to expire on Friday.
New York’s coronavirus death toll has surpassed 22,000 with more than 343,000 people confirmed to be infected.
The epicenter of the pandemic, New York City, has not met all of the criteria to reopen, and the lockdown is likely to last into the summer.
It fell short on having a low enough daily new hospitalization rate, by the state department of health’s numbers, and did not yet have enough hospital beds free in the system.
The city has recorded at least 15,349 confirmed deaths and 5,057 probable deaths from the virus.
In the city, there are more than 186,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus.