NYC Joins Mid-Hudson Region in Phase 2 of COVID-19 Reopening - Have You Created Your Written Safety Plan?

NYC

Today New York City joins the Mid-Hudson Region in Phase 2 of New York’s COVID-19 reopening. As businesses reopen, they need to be aware that New York has created some of the most detailed guidelines to date and the potentially the strictest compliance requirements in the country.

As part of reopening, New York requires businesses to adopt and post a written safety plan that complies with the detailed guidance the State has published. The State also requires that “Responsible Parties” read and affirm that they have read and understand their obligation to operate in accordance with the applicable guidance. Responsible Parties are defined as the owner/operator of the business, or another person designated by the owner/operator.

New York has published guidance for virtually every industry that is permitted to reopen, such as offices, real estate business, retail stores, outdoor dining, hair salons, commercial business, and vehicles sales, leases and rentals. The Phase 2 Guidance for each industry, along with the affirmation link, and form safety plan templates can be found here.

New York has also created the New York Forward Business Reopening Lookup Wizard, which allows businesses to input their industry and location to find the status of their reopening and any guidelines applicable to the business.

New York business owners need to carefully review and understand the guidelines applicable to their industry to ensure that they are meeting all of the requirements to reopen and operate their business. Failure to comply with the applicable guidelines could result in the State issuing a shut down order or expose a business to liability to its employees or customers.

If you have questions about your business’s reopening plan or obligations, please contact us at (646) 503-5358 / (201) 345-5412 or through our online scheduling system to schedule a complimentary consultation.