Governor Cuomo Announces 12 More Counties Are Now Eligible to Resume Elective Surgeries

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced 12 more counties are now eligible to resume elective surgeries. The Governor previously announced that the state will allow elective outpatient treatments to resume in counties and hospitals without significant risk of COVID-19 surge in the near term, and a total of 47 counties can now resume elective surgeries:

Ambulatory surgical centers in these 47 counties will also be able to resume elective surgeries. Additionally, the State Department of Health clarified that these centers may continue providing certain diagnostic or screening procedures such as for cancer. Empire State Development Corporation also clarified that doctors' visits continue to be permitted and remain open as essential businesses.

"When this pandemic first began our hospital systems were overwhelmed and we stopped elective surgeries to increase our hospital capacity for COVID patients," Governor Cuomo said. "We have made tremendous progress to stop the spread of this infection and all the arrows are pointing in the right direction. We are now at a point where we can restart elective surgeries in counties without a significant risk of a surge of COVID-19 in the near term, and a total of 47 counties have met the criteria to begin resuming these elective treatments."