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| Upstate Will Be First to Test New York’s Arts Appetite | Upstate Will Be First to Test New York’s Arts Appetite |
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| About an hour’s drive from New York City, ensconced in a thicket of greenery near the bank of the Hudson River, the Dia:Beacon art museum has been sitting empty for nearly two months. Mostly empty. | About an hour’s drive from New York City, ensconced in a thicket of greenery near the bank of the Hudson River, the Dia:Beacon art museum has been sitting empty for nearly two months. Mostly empty. |
| Landscapers have shown up to mulch the garden, inspectors have come to check out the sprinkler system and a couple of staff members have been fixing a section of particularly worn floorboards, all in preparation for some elusive date when visitors will trickle back into the bright, airy gallery rooms of the museum. | Landscapers have shown up to mulch the garden, inspectors have come to check out the sprinkler system and a couple of staff members have been fixing a section of particularly worn floorboards, all in preparation for some elusive date when visitors will trickle back into the bright, airy gallery rooms of the museum. |
| This uncertain future became a bit more conceivable this week when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo outlined his phased plan for reopening during the pandemic. The plan is to allow upstate areas, with fewer coronavirus cases, to transition back to normal life before the downstate regions do — and only after they reach certain public health benchmarks. | This uncertain future became a bit more conceivable this week when Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo outlined his phased plan for reopening during the pandemic. The plan is to allow upstate areas, with fewer coronavirus cases, to transition back to normal life before the downstate regions do — and only after they reach certain public health benchmarks. |
| As officials in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri allow movie theaters to reopen, Mr. Cuomo made clear that New York’s reopening of the arts and entertainment sector would not be quick or easy. The state has classified arts institutions in the fourth and final phase of businesses that will be allowed to reopen, after restaurants, hotels and retail stores. | As officials in states like Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri allow movie theaters to reopen, Mr. Cuomo made clear that New York’s reopening of the arts and entertainment sector would not be quick or easy. The state has classified arts institutions in the fourth and final phase of businesses that will be allowed to reopen, after restaurants, hotels and retail stores. |
| The directors of community theaters, museums and art centers in the Mid-Hudson region and beyond were relieved: As they had hoped, an institution like the Herkimer County Historical Society, which typically hosts about five visitors at a time in the summer, will be able to open up sooner than, say, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But they realize it will mean working for several weeks to transform their institutions so that visitors will feel safe. | The directors of community theaters, museums and art centers in the Mid-Hudson region and beyond were relieved: As they had hoped, an institution like the Herkimer County Historical Society, which typically hosts about five visitors at a time in the summer, will be able to open up sooner than, say, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But they realize it will mean working for several weeks to transform their institutions so that visitors will feel safe. |
| “Finally we can think through what the next steps will be and take control of it,” said Jessica Morgan, Dia’s director. “That feeling of not knowing was very debilitating.” | “Finally we can think through what the next steps will be and take control of it,” said Jessica Morgan, Dia’s director. “That feeling of not knowing was very debilitating.” |
| For Dia:Beacon, a 300,000-square-foot facility that was once a Nabisco box-printing facility, social distancing should be manageable. To put visitors at ease, Dia plans to institute a timed-ticket system to limit the number of people in the building, and is installing hands-free faucets in the restrooms. Upon the reopening, gallery attendants would be tasked with regulating the number of people in each room. | For Dia:Beacon, a 300,000-square-foot facility that was once a Nabisco box-printing facility, social distancing should be manageable. To put visitors at ease, Dia plans to institute a timed-ticket system to limit the number of people in the building, and is installing hands-free faucets in the restrooms. Upon the reopening, gallery attendants would be tasked with regulating the number of people in each room. |
| Dia’s confidence in its ability to keep people effectively social distanced has prompted the administrators to join with other New York museums to try to convince state officials that museums could be included in the third phase of businesses allowed to reopen, along with restaurants and hotels, rather than the fourth phase. The rationale is that museums don’t necessitate intimate gatherings of people, unlike theaters, which put people together in one confined space for hours. | Dia’s confidence in its ability to keep people effectively social distanced has prompted the administrators to join with other New York museums to try to convince state officials that museums could be included in the third phase of businesses allowed to reopen, along with restaurants and hotels, rather than the fourth phase. The rationale is that museums don’t necessitate intimate gatherings of people, unlike theaters, which put people together in one confined space for hours. |
| “It would be kind of punishing for us to follow the same guidelines,” Ms. Morgan said. | “It would be kind of punishing for us to follow the same guidelines,” Ms. Morgan said. |
| In a statement, a spokesman for Governor Cuomo, Jason Conwall, said that the governor’s office was not aware of such a request from museum administrators but reiterated the state’s plan to reopen businesses based on public health criteria, factoring in their ability to mitigate risk. | In a statement, a spokesman for Governor Cuomo, Jason Conwall, said that the governor’s office was not aware of such a request from museum administrators but reiterated the state’s plan to reopen businesses based on public health criteria, factoring in their ability to mitigate risk. |
| Mr. Conwall noted that “there may be businesses that operate more like retail than a crowded theater, making it possible for certain elements to be in Phase 3 if they can show that they can implement policies for social distancing that reduce risk.” | Mr. Conwall noted that “there may be businesses that operate more like retail than a crowded theater, making it possible for certain elements to be in Phase 3 if they can show that they can implement policies for social distancing that reduce risk.” |
| Cultural institutions of all types are devising plans so when the governor gives the green light to open, they are able to invite visitors into a space that requires them to touch nothing and get close to no one. | Cultural institutions of all types are devising plans so when the governor gives the green light to open, they are able to invite visitors into a space that requires them to touch nothing and get close to no one. |
| “We’re going to try to create a contact-free experience from the moment a visitor steps onto our property,” said Paul S. D’Ambrosio, the president of the Fenimore Art Museum, a renovated 1930s Georgian Revival mansion in Cooperstown, N.Y., which is among the regions that could open soonest. | “We’re going to try to create a contact-free experience from the moment a visitor steps onto our property,” said Paul S. D’Ambrosio, the president of the Fenimore Art Museum, a renovated 1930s Georgian Revival mansion in Cooperstown, N.Y., which is among the regions that could open soonest. |
| For that museum, changes include controlling the direction of traffic with signs or tape on the floor and eliminating interactive features that encourage visitors to touch artifacts, like a reproduction of a wampum belt that is shown with its American Indian Art collection. Other art administrators are planning to install plexiglass to separate receptionists and guests, move art classes outside or install virus-killing foggers to disperse disinfectant inside. | For that museum, changes include controlling the direction of traffic with signs or tape on the floor and eliminating interactive features that encourage visitors to touch artifacts, like a reproduction of a wampum belt that is shown with its American Indian Art collection. Other art administrators are planning to install plexiglass to separate receptionists and guests, move art classes outside or install virus-killing foggers to disperse disinfectant inside. |
| But these tools will not be put to good use until the state’s rigorous public health guidelines are met. When New York’s lockdown order expires on May 15, each of the state’s 10 regions will see where it stands on specific criteria like virus-related hospital deaths, hospitalizations, hospital-bed vacancies, testing capacity and numbers of contact tracers. | But these tools will not be put to good use until the state’s rigorous public health guidelines are met. When New York’s lockdown order expires on May 15, each of the state’s 10 regions will see where it stands on specific criteria like virus-related hospital deaths, hospitalizations, hospital-bed vacancies, testing capacity and numbers of contact tracers. |
| Once those boxes are checked, the state would allow construction and manufacturing to start, and some retail stores to open for curbside pickup. If the numbers still look good after two weeks, that region can move to the next phase, which includes professional services, more retailers and real estate firms. Next would be the arts, education and recreation. | Once those boxes are checked, the state would allow construction and manufacturing to start, and some retail stores to open for curbside pickup. If the numbers still look good after two weeks, that region can move to the next phase, which includes professional services, more retailers and real estate firms. Next would be the arts, education and recreation. |
| “Upstate New York, the numbers are dramatically different than downstate,” Governor Cuomo said at a news conference on Friday. “It’s like a different state.” | “Upstate New York, the numbers are dramatically different than downstate,” Governor Cuomo said at a news conference on Friday. “It’s like a different state.” |
| In the state’s rural North Country region, near the Canadian border, patrons of the Thousand Islands Arts Center are eager to get back to their glazing and knitting classes, said Leslie Rowland, the center’s executive director. (Its region has met five of the seven criteria for reopening so far.) | In the state’s rural North Country region, near the Canadian border, patrons of the Thousand Islands Arts Center are eager to get back to their glazing and knitting classes, said Leslie Rowland, the center’s executive director. (Its region has met five of the seven criteria for reopening so far.) |
| Ms. Rowland said she felt confident about getting back to the community art classes, which can be hosted outside, with students wearing masks, though she was less sure about the center’s craft and antique shows in August, which usually draw more than 2,000 people to a large arena in town. | Ms. Rowland said she felt confident about getting back to the community art classes, which can be hosted outside, with students wearing masks, though she was less sure about the center’s craft and antique shows in August, which usually draw more than 2,000 people to a large arena in town. |
| “People need a creative outlet,” she said. “You can only do jigsaw puzzles for so long.” | “People need a creative outlet,” she said. “You can only do jigsaw puzzles for so long.” |
| Arts administrators tend to be more reticent about opening up again if they risk that New Yorkers from downstate will travel north. Governor Cuomo has warned that arts venues will not be allowed to open if they draw significant numbers of people from outside the region, becoming what he termed “attractive nuisances.” | Arts administrators tend to be more reticent about opening up again if they risk that New Yorkers from downstate will travel north. Governor Cuomo has warned that arts venues will not be allowed to open if they draw significant numbers of people from outside the region, becoming what he termed “attractive nuisances.” |
| Mr. D’Ambrosio of the Fenimore Art Museum said that was a concern in Cooperstown, which relies on tourists to fuel the local economy. | Mr. D’Ambrosio of the Fenimore Art Museum said that was a concern in Cooperstown, which relies on tourists to fuel the local economy. |
| “We have to be very careful about this,” he said. | “We have to be very careful about this,” he said. |
| The fear of an influx of visitors from a high-risk area to a low-risk area has prompted some organizations to cancel programming for the summer, regardless of whether the governor says the region can get back to business. | The fear of an influx of visitors from a high-risk area to a low-risk area has prompted some organizations to cancel programming for the summer, regardless of whether the governor says the region can get back to business. |
| In the westernmost corner of New York, the Chautauqua Institution typically draws about 100,000 visitors from around the country and world into a small town, hosting nine weeks filled with more than 2,000 cultural events — including plays, concerts and lectures. There was no way to make that model work during a pandemic, said the institution’s president, Michael E. Hill, so it decided to cancel all in-person events and move them online. | In the westernmost corner of New York, the Chautauqua Institution typically draws about 100,000 visitors from around the country and world into a small town, hosting nine weeks filled with more than 2,000 cultural events — including plays, concerts and lectures. There was no way to make that model work during a pandemic, said the institution’s president, Michael E. Hill, so it decided to cancel all in-person events and move them online. |
| Updated June 16, 2020 | |
| The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave. | |
| So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. | So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement. |
| Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. | Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks. |
| A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. | A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study. |
| The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. | The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April. |
| Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. | Mass protests against police brutality that have brought thousands of people onto the streets in cities across America are raising the specter of new coronavirus outbreaks, prompting political leaders, physicians and public health experts to warn that the crowds could cause a surge in cases. While many political leaders affirmed the right of protesters to express themselves, they urged the demonstrators to wear face masks and maintain social distancing, both to protect themselves and to prevent further community spread of the virus. Some infectious disease experts were reassured by the fact that the protests were held outdoors, saying the open air settings could mitigate the risk of transmission. |
| States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. | States are reopening bit by bit. This means that more public spaces are available for use and more and more businesses are being allowed to open again. The federal government is largely leaving the decision up to states, and some state leaders are leaving the decision up to local authorities. Even if you aren’t being told to stay at home, it’s still a good idea to limit trips outside and your interaction with other people. |
| Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. | Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days. |
| If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) | If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.) |
| Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. | Taking one’s temperature to look for signs of fever is not as easy as it sounds, as “normal” temperature numbers can vary, but generally, keep an eye out for a temperature of 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. If you don’t have a thermometer (they can be pricey these days), there are other ways to figure out if you have a fever, or are at risk of Covid-19 complications. |
| The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. | The C.D.C. has recommended that all Americans wear cloth masks if they go out in public. This is a shift in federal guidance reflecting new concerns that the coronavirus is being spread by infected people who have no symptoms. Until now, the C.D.C., like the W.H.O., has advised that ordinary people don’t need to wear masks unless they are sick and coughing. Part of the reason was to preserve medical-grade masks for health care workers who desperately need them at a time when they are in continuously short supply. Masks don’t replace hand washing and social distancing. |
| If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. | If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others. |
| If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. | If you’re sick and you think you’ve been exposed to the new coronavirus, the C.D.C. recommends that you call your healthcare provider and explain your symptoms and fears. They will decide if you need to be tested. Keep in mind that there’s a chance — because of a lack of testing kits or because you’re asymptomatic, for instance — you won’t be able to get tested. |
| And in Cooperstown, the Glimmerglass Festival, which also draws guests from around the world, has canceled all of its summer performances. | And in Cooperstown, the Glimmerglass Festival, which also draws guests from around the world, has canceled all of its summer performances. |
| Even for local arts institutions far from New York City, the transition back to inviting in guests will not be easy. The Clemens Center, a 1,600-seat theater in the Southern Tier, less than 10 miles from the border with Pennsylvania, sees at least half of its revenue from touring Broadway shows, which have come to a standstill. Another chunk of revenue comes from school groups, who visit the theater to see touring educational shows and seem unlikely to return anytime soon. | Even for local arts institutions far from New York City, the transition back to inviting in guests will not be easy. The Clemens Center, a 1,600-seat theater in the Southern Tier, less than 10 miles from the border with Pennsylvania, sees at least half of its revenue from touring Broadway shows, which have come to a standstill. Another chunk of revenue comes from school groups, who visit the theater to see touring educational shows and seem unlikely to return anytime soon. |
| Then, there’s the sense among all arts administrators — from the cultural behemoths in Manhattan to the small-town centers — that it will be some time before people will be visiting with the same zeal as before the pandemic. | Then, there’s the sense among all arts administrators — from the cultural behemoths in Manhattan to the small-town centers — that it will be some time before people will be visiting with the same zeal as before the pandemic. |
| In the Hudson Valley, a community theater housed in a building made to look like a big red barn, the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, could feasibly move its summer run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” outside to an expansive field on the property, said Lou Trapani, the artistic and managing director. | In the Hudson Valley, a community theater housed in a building made to look like a big red barn, the Center for Performing Arts at Rhinebeck, could feasibly move its summer run of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” outside to an expansive field on the property, said Lou Trapani, the artistic and managing director. |
| But, Mr. Trapani wondered, “If I were to open and say, ‘Come in,’ I’m not sure if people are going to.” People might be so nervous about the virus that they won’t want to take part in a public gathering, even if they would be sitting on blankets at least six feet apart from one another. | But, Mr. Trapani wondered, “If I were to open and say, ‘Come in,’ I’m not sure if people are going to.” People might be so nervous about the virus that they won’t want to take part in a public gathering, even if they would be sitting on blankets at least six feet apart from one another. |
| So first, he plans to call up members of his community and perhaps ask them on social media whether a socially distanced night at the theater would be too close for comfort. | So first, he plans to call up members of his community and perhaps ask them on social media whether a socially distanced night at the theater would be too close for comfort. |
| “Regardless of what the governor says,” Mr. Trapani said, “I’m going to talk to my community, and if they’re not comfortable, I’m not opening.” | “Regardless of what the governor says,” Mr. Trapani said, “I’m going to talk to my community, and if they’re not comfortable, I’m not opening.” |