SARATOGA SPRINGS — Indoor dining experiences, nail and spa treatments and a variety of other personal care businesses and services may soon reopen to the public. 

 “Phase three” reopening activities are slated to take place in the region June 17. Eligibility for reopening is determined by health metrics, and as long as regional COVID-19 related infections, hospitalizations and deaths remain low, it is anticipated Gov. Andrew Cuomo may give the Capital Region the green light for “phase 3” early next week. 

“We’re not out of the woods, but we are on the other side,” Cuomo said this week. Five regions in the state outside of the Capital Region were given the green light for phase three reopening on June 11.

Gov. Cuomo’s NY Pause order went into effect March 22, and the city of Saratoga Springs and the greater Capital District Region were cleared by the state to begin the phase 1 re-opening of the local economy beginning Wednesday, May 20. Capital Region’s phase two reopening plan went into effect on June 3.

The sector designated as the Capital Region includes eight counties. They are: Albany, Columbia, Greene, Saratoga, Schenectady, Rensselaer, Warren, and Washington counties. 

There are four reopening phases in all, and an up-to 14-day incubation period between phases to ensure that infection rates and hospitalizations are maintained at a manageable level. Phase three is slated for June 17 and phase four, which focuses on Arts/ Entertainment / Recreation, and Education, including libraries, will potentially hit its reopening mark July 1.

Recent actions include the reopening of outdoor dining at restaurants, as well as places of worship – with 25 percent allowable occupancy. Beginning June 26 outdoor graduations of up to 150 people will be allowed. Additionally, the New York State sales tax filing deadline has been extended to June 22.

Social distancing protocols apply throughout all four phases – that is, that people maintain a distance of six feet apart when possible, and face coverings be worn to decrease the potential spread of the virus. 

Phase three showcases restaurants and food services establishments reopening their indoor spaces for the seating of customers. Indoor capacity must be limited to no more than 50% of maximum occupancy, exclusive of employees, and all tables with seating for customers must be separated by a minimum of 6 feet in all directions. Wherever distancing is not feasible between tables, physical barriers – at least five feet in height – must be enacted between the tables. 

Additionally, patrons must wear face coverings at all times, except while seated, provided that the patron is over the age of 2 and able to medically tolerate such covering. There is a maximum of 10 people per table. 

Also included in phase three: non-hair-related personal care businesses and services. This includes tattoo and piercing facilities, appearance enhancement practitioners, massage therapy, spas, cosmetology, nail specialty, UV and non-UV tanning, or waxing. Mandatory occupancy restrictions, distancing and mask requirements apply. For more information about the phases of reopening, requirements and gudelines, go to: ny.gov.

AMSTERDAM – U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, who represents the 20th Congressional District, joined with more than 200 of his Congressional colleagues this week to introduce the Justice in Policing Act of 2020. 

The legislation would, among other things, ban police chokeholds, restrict “qualified immunity” that prevents police officers from being sued for misconduct, create a national registry to track officers with a history of misconduct, end no-knock warrant use for drug cases and make lynching a federal hate crime. 

“The murder of George Floyd has shocked the conscience of millions of Americans and once again exposed the virulent racism that has long festered at the heart of so many of our nation’s institutions, including the manner in which we enforce the law,” Tonko said in a statement. “Our bill takes several urgent steps forward in addressing the most dangerous and deadly policing practices that have been widely and disproportionately used against Black Americans and other people of color.” 

BALLSTON LAKE — Patrick Southworth, 61, a retired pharmacist from Ballston Lake who was working on the Navajo Nation in Arizona, died June 6 during a rafting trip in Colorado.

Southworth’s wife, Patti, also a pharmacist as well as a former Ballston town supervisor, were on a guided rafting trip on the Animas River when the raft flipped over, throwing the Southworths, the guide and another couple overboard, according to a report in The Journal, based in Colorado. Pat Southworth was killed as a result of the event. All other parties survived.

Patti Southworth remained in Arizona, where her daughters, Krista Malinoski and Colleen Southworth, traveled to be with her, according to the Jones Funeral Home, in Schenectady. 

The Southworths joined Indian Health Services two years ago and traveled across the western United States where they had also served the Chippewa Nation in North Dakota and Minnesota as well as the Navajo and Zuni in New Mexico.

Pat Southworth grew up in Mechanicville. He and Patti met in pharmacy school and were married nearly 39 years. They had three children and three grandchildren.

“He was a loving husband, father and papa,” Malinoski said. “He taught us to be strong and independent people and to form independent opinions and beliefs and stand up for what we believe in and take active roles in our communities. Those who knew him know he had a big heart and would do anything to support his friends and family.”

Southworth spent his career in retail pharmacies. He was a past member of the Ballston and Greenfield Lions Clubs. Southworth will be laid to rest in Mechanicville.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Summertime in Saratoga may feature new dimensions in the outdoor dining experience. Literally. 

In an effort to help downtown businesses increase customer capacity while remaining compliant to COVID-19 restrictions, the city is exploring a variety of possibilities that would allow its merchants to expand their businesses across city sidewalks. 

The City Council is expected to address the matter at its Tuesday, June 16 meeting – immediately preceded by a public hearing at 6:55 p.m.   

A working draft of a proposal that will be presented to the council is being crafted this week. 

“Right now, the draft is basically allowing businesses to use the sidewalk as long as it’s ADA compliant – which is 48 inches for people to walk back and forth,” Accounts Commissioner John Franck said on June 9, one week prior to the meeting. Specifically, the measure would allow restaurants and other establishments to expand their outdoor spaces onto sidewalks, as long as 48 inches of pedestrian walkway is maintained, as per Americans with Disabilities Act regulations. 

“We want to see how that affects things. Is that going to move the needle for the restaurants one way or another? Do we need to do more?” said Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton. 

With summer approaching and some, but not all, state mandated restrictions related to COVID-19 being lifted, the idea of municipalities and businesses seeking creative ways to reopen the economy is a fluid one. Between this week and next week those creative options may change. Another idea being floated involves eliminating one lane of parking on city side streets to expand even greater the usable spaces for businesses.      

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“A second option would be to look at the side streets, take one lane of parking away from the side streets and put up Jersey barriers between the parking lane and the driving lane,” Commissioner Dalton explained. That move would allow the current parking lane to become a barriered pedestrian walkway, and free existing sidewalks in their entirety for vendors and restaurants to use. Jersey barriers are concrete partitions and are so-named because of their notable use as median barriers in the late 1940s in New Jersey. 

Commissioner Franck has been leading the charge for the second option. “I’m hoping and really pushing for the change to also have the ability to add some of the street space – not close streets down – but to put barriers down that would allow more area in front of businesses – especially restaurants and bars – to give you more space for walking area and also in front of your restaurant, bar, or retail,” Franck said.   

“It’s evolving, and I don’t know if the votes are there for it, but why not just put a Jersey barrier out there along one side of the street. This isn’t for the next 20 years; later we could go back to business as usual, but the summer’s here – let’s get this done,” he said.

It is not clear whether that second measure may also be part of the June 16 meeting, but a majority of Council members – at least three of five member votes – are required to approve the proposal for it to take effect.   

That installation of barriers would be for a temporary period – perhaps only through the summer – but they would stay in place throughout the period of implementation. In other words, they wouldn’t be removed and re-inserted on a daily basis, or in accordance with business hours. And while they would only be placed on certain blocks in the downtown business core – and not on Broadway – their implementation could extend to both the east and west side of the city. 

As to which side streets the barriers would specifically be installed needs to be figured out. “It’s not like we’re going to impose it on everyone. The code would be re-written such that if the need is there, it’s something we can do.  We want to take logical steps,” Dalton said.

The Public Hearing will begin at 6:55 p.m. Two agenda items later into the meeting address the matter. The chapter amendment may be viewed HERE and a draft of the licensing process may be viewed HERE.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — In every public crisis, people rely on the training and courage of first responders and emergency medical personnel. While that remains true in the COVID-19 pandemic, the teams whose mettle are most tested are in
the laboratory. 

Saratoga Hospital’s Chair and Medical Director of Saratoga Hospital Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Josenia “Joy” Tan, MD, MT(ASCP), FCAP, and Director of Laboratory Services Richard Vandell, MS, MT(ASCP)SC, SH, knew they were facing a virus that spread like wildfire, but no one really knew how or how to identify those infected. 

According to Dr. Tan, “Even large laboratories were making decisions in the dark. So we read everything we could get our hands on for ideas. The community was counting on us, so we worked the science and kept figuring it out.”

Dr. David M. Mastrianni, senior vice president of Saratoga Hospital Medical Group, said, “Let me explain how rare our laboratory team is. When we ran out of viral transport media, they made it. When we were low on testing swabs, they had them 3D printed. When testing kits were becoming scarce, they started batch testing. And they couldn’t just implement these changes. They had to first prove these ideas worked. Other lab directors would have given up, but not ours.”

 According to Dr. Mastrianni, this response is not typical for labs outside of research campuses or even in larger hospitals. This higher level of function meant the lab was conducting research and validating the results, all while testing the public and patients for the virus as well as performing all their regular non-pandemic duties. 

“Our first task was to stop the spread, and you can’t do that without testing to identify who has it,” Vandell said. “We didn’t have enough testing supplies. No one did. But we always find a plan B.”

The lab’s initial accomplishment was to establish a testing tent in record time, making Saratoga Hospital the first and longest continuously running specimen collection facility for the COVID-19 test in the region. Overall, Saratoga Hospital has tested nearly 8,000 people.   

Then, to assure the safety of patients and staff and conserve protective gear (PPE), the hospital decided to test every inpatient. For a long time, it was the only hospital in the region to do that. Additionally, the lab obtained “rapid test” capabilities, a test for COVID-19 that could be done in-house and returns quicker results. 

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These tests remain in short supply, so the lab researched “batch (or pooled) testing” to help conserve them. Five samples of low-risk patients are now combined into one vial. If the test comes back negative, four test kits as well as PPE are saved. If it comes back positive, which only happens less than 1% of the time, patients are retested individually.   

Saratoga Hospital offers physician-ordered antibody testing services, an in-house test that is another innovative use of existing resources brought about by the lab team. When rapid test collection swabs were hard to find, the team researched and obtained 3D printed swabs and validated them for use.

When many hospitals stopped testing due to a shortage of viral transport medium, a solution that preserves a patient’s sample on its way to be tested, Saratoga Hospital’s lab and in-house pharmacy made it from scratch, following CDC guidelines, then the lab validated its quality and purity, and now there’s an ample supply.   

With the combined efforts of physician leadership, the infectious disease team, senior leadership, and others, the lab also developed a diagnostic algorithm to help physicians decide which test to use and when to use it. At the time, there wasn’t one for COVID-19.   

“Our process and data for it have been submitted to the FDA and NYS Department of Health,” Dr. Tan said, “Once authorized, anyone in the country can follow our procedure. It’s remarkable, the amount of collaboration and support we have to do this.”

Working with its affiliate partner, Albany Med, Saratoga Hospital has been able to continuously work with the state laboratory to keep results moving. And Skidmore College loaned its biosafety hood, which allows laboratory scientists to safely handle infectious specimens, once the lab realized the two they had would not be enough to handle the extra capacity.

“There’s so much riding on what we do,” Vandell said. “Testing is key to reopening and will continue to be a challenge into the foreseeable future.” 

Dr. Mastrianni agreed. “To successfully meet a pandemic head on, it all boils down to having people who are really bright and a supportive administration that lets them use their imagination, good judgment, and years of experience to do what they do best.”

Click Here for Summer 2020 Home Design Trends

Food for Life Sessions Provide Education and Recipes to Reduce Chronic Health Conditions

SARATOGA SPRINGS — Local plant-based cooking and nutrition instructor Deb Czech is teaming up with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine to bring online classes to Capital Region residents. Food for Life classes help people improve their health through a plant-based diet. 

Czech is the owner of Planted Platter of Saratoga Springs, a business providing plant-based programs to individuals, workplaces, and food service operations.

Due to COVID-19, Food for Life classes are now being offered online for the first time. Czech and her fellow Food for Life instructors across the United States and abroad will teach participants how plant-based diets can help achieve weight loss and prevent and sometimes reverse chronic diseases, including heart disease and Type 2 diabetes.

Planted Platter’s summer class schedule will include both day and evening sessions. 

“These Food for Life classes will not only teach people the benefits of plant-based eating, but also show them how to put together simple, affordable meals. We will discuss strategies to shift to eating more plant foods, while respecting everyone’s need to make changes at their own pace,” says Czech. “With the current issues surrounding the country’s meat supply and interest in reducing COVID-19 risks associated with underlying health conditions, people are especially curious right now about plant-based meal options.”

Each class covers important nutrition topics with short videos from the Physicians Committee’s medical team followed by Czech teaching students how they can put this information into practice in delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people with underlying health conditions—such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity—make up the majority of COVID-19 deaths in the United States. Plant-based diets are scientifically proven to prevent and even reverse many of those diseases.

“We’re all looking for ways to stay as healthy as we can during this unprecedented time,” says Susan Levin, MS, RD, director of nutrition education for the Physicians Committee. “Food for Life classes give people the tools they need to stay healthy. From the comfort of their homes, participants will learn about topics including foods that support the immune system, diabetes prevention and reversal, heart health, and maintaining a healthy weight, as well as tips on planning a budget-friendly menu with pantry staples.”

Czech became a licensed Food for Life instructor with the Physicians Committee in 2019 and has been a plant-based eater and cook since 2012.

Designed by physicians, nurses, and registered dietitians, Food for Life is an award-winning nutrition education and cooking class program that provides an innovative approach to diet-related chronic diseases. Since 2001, Food for Life has been a pioneer in delivering hands-on information about the direct role of plant-based nutrition in health and disease prevention to communities around the world.

In June, a one-hour “lunch and learn” series will occur on Tuesdays (June 9, 16, 23) from 12-1 p.m. In both June and July, on Monday and Tuesday evenings from 6-8 p.m., classes will cover topics such as boosting immunity and fighting cancer (July 6-7), healthy heart and blood pressure (June 8-9 or July 13-14), and diabetes and weight control (June 15-16 or July 20-21).

 SARATOGA SPRINGS – The City Council will host a Public Hearing June 16 regarding temporarily extending “eating and drinking establishments” onto “auxiliary seating areas” on public property, as a result of necessary spacing precautions during the COVID-19 epidemic. 

The measure – which would amend chapter 136 of the City Code – would allow the city to accommodate licensed eating and drinking establishments to provide their services to the public on specific public properties. Those public property locations have not been specified, although is generally assumed Broadway – a state road – is not among them. If approved, the approval process may be conducted through an application process for holders of valid licenses.

As of this week, there is little additional information regarding the matter. The public hearing will begin at 6:55 p.m. on Tuesday, June 16. Since the start of the pandemic, City Council meetings are held via Zoom and are accessible through the city’s website. A State of Emergency currently remains in effect in Saratoga Springs til June 12. Comments may be sent to: public.comment@saratoga-springs.org.

On Wednesday, June 3, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced outdoor dining at restaurants will be permitted beginning June 4 for restaurants in the Capital Region – which includes Saratoga Springs – as well as in the six other regions that have been approved for phase two reopenings. Outdoor tables must be spaced six feet apart, all staff must wear face coverings and customers must also wear face coverings when not seated.

SARATOGA SPRINGS — “Recent days remind us that we all need to speak when we see injustice,” city Mayor Meg Kelly told the City Council June 2.  “The events in Minneapolis last week that saw a black man pleading for his life under the knee of an officer – while several other officers either assisted or stood by – can only happen again if each of us forget our outrage,” Kelly said. “All of us must galvanize our current feelings and demand change in our institutions that allows such racial discrimination. I know that Saratoga Springs is a city to lead this.” 

Protests have been staged every day this week opposite City Hall on Broadway in Saratoga Springs. On June 1, city Police Chief Shane Crooks and a handful of members of the city police department joined protesters gathered at the location. 

“I do believe our police department is the leader of this charge. They went out there, they took a knee with the protesters,” Mayor Kelly said. “Our policemen and policewomen really know our community and they work really hard at all relations.” 

SARATOGA SPRINGS — The New York Racing Association opened for training at both the Oklahoma Training Track and Saratoga Race Course this week, coinciding with the return to racing at Belmont Park. 

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, however, both NYRA track locations will undergo big changes. The Belmont Park spring/summer meet will be held without spectators in attendance and much  the same is anticipated for the Saratoga meet, which is scheduled to begin on Thursday, July 16 and run through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7.

The Oklahoma facility was originally slated to open April 15. NYRA says after consultations with the NYSGC and state and local public health officials, it has implemented a comprehensive set of health and safety protocols designed to protect and mitigate risk for employees, horsemen, backstretch workers and the Saratoga community.

The Oklahoma Training Track and Whitney Viewing Stand will be closed to owners and the public. Access will be restricted to essential personnel duly licensed by NYRA and the New York State Gaming Commission.

All personnel working at the Oklahoma Training Track must test negative for COVID-19 or test positive for the antibodies for COVID-19. This applies to both local personnel as well as those arriving from other regions.

All personnel licensed and approved to be on the property will be required to complete a daily health screening and temperature check conducted by trained EMTs. Face masks or coverings and adherence to strict social distancing measures will be mandatory at all times. Masks and personal protective equipment will be provided.