The following is a list of notable executive orders issued by NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo in response to the pandemic:
March 7 – An executive order is issued declaring, “a State disaster emergency for the entire State of New York. This Executive Order shall be in effect until September 7, 2020…” Quite a different tone from his Tweet on March 1st and Bill de Blasio’s movie recommendation Tweet on March 2nd, don’t ya think? This is the first of many executive orders directly related to the coronavirus pandemic.
March 16 – Executive orders (202.3 and 202.4) are issued forcing all restaurants, bars, gyms, casinos/gambling facilities, and theaters to close, as well as prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people, including religious services. Workers deemed “non-essential” are also prohibited from going to work, and mandating all schools in the state to close no later than March 18th.
March 18 – An executive order is issued allowing any medical personnel with a pending license to begin practicing medicine, suspending all local elections, and closing all malls, parks and other recreational facilities.
March 19 – An executive order is issued closing all personal care service facilities including nail and hair salons and tattoo parlors.
March 20 – New York State issues guidelines meant to clarify exactly which businesses are deemed essential under ‘New York State On Pause’ executive orders.
March 21 – An executive order is issued requiring the home mortgages of all those negatively impacted by the coronavirus to enter a period of forbearance.
March 23 – An executive order is issued allowing all registered nurses, nurse practitioners, specialist assistants and physician’s assistants to begin practicing medicine without supervision and providing them with immunity from any civil liability unless it is due to gross negligence.
March 28 – An executive order is issued pushing back the date for the presidential primaries scheduled to be held April 28th, to be rescheduled for June 23rd.
April 12 – An executive order is issued requiring all essential employees to wear face masks when dealing with the public and requiring the employer, at their expense, to provide employees with such face coverings.
April 15 – An executive order is issued declaring “any individual who is over age two and able to medically tolerate a face-covering shall be required to cover their nose and mouth with a mask or cloth face-covering when in a public place and unable to maintain, or when not maintaining, social distance.”
April 16 – An executive order is issued allowing various medical professionals from Canada to begin assisting hospitals and other medical facilities in NY, as well as other healthcare professionals from around the U.S.
April 24 – An executive order is issued requiring all people eligible to vote in primary elections be sent an absentee ballot with prepaid postage for the elections scheduled for June 23rd. The executive order also established that “The Commissioner of Health is authorized to suspend or revoke the operating certificate of any skilled nursing facility or adult care facility if it is determined that such facility has not adhered to any regulations or directives issued by the Commissioner of Health…”