Several regions in upstate New York have met the qualifications to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The governor’s “New York on Pause” order goes through May 15, at which time, regions that meet certain criteria can begin to reopen. Those that do not, will have stay at home orders extended through June 1.

The Finger Lakes region is among those that the governor said has met criteria to reopen. The Mohawk Valley and Southern Tier regions have also met guidelines to reopen, while the Central New York and North Country regions are still short on a handful of benchmarks.

The state has set up seven key benchmarks for individual regions to meet before they can begin reopening on the 15th.

The governor also announced all retail businesses will be able to perform curbside pickup and drop-off going forward. He added essential retail businesses will continue to operate under their current protocols.

Meanwhile, the state says it will allow low-risk professions such as landscaping, low-risk outdoor recreational activities and drive-in movie theaters to reopen.

At the core of reopening, Cuomo said, is doing so carefully. He stressed that efforts to operate in a way to prevent the further spread of the virus.

During his daily briefing at Rochester Regional Health in Irondequoit. Monday, he reported 161 New Yorkers died within the past 24 hours from the virus. Hospitalization rates, intubations and new COVID-19 cases continue to decline. This comes as other states across the U.S. face a mounting number of cases. The governor credits the state’s and citizens’ responses to the virus with helping flatten the curve.

“We took the worst situation in the nation and changed the trajectory,” he said Monday. “…That is because of what people in this state did.”

Cuomo said the next phase of New York’s response will focus on learning from the mistakes of other nations and regions which reopened too quickly and saw a subsequent influx in cases.

The governor says local and county leaders across the state will be tasked with continuous coordination to monitor the virus and make sure their regions are still in a position to remain open without putting citizens at risk.

Businesses across New York are set to reopen in four separate phases based on how essential they are and what potential risk they present to the spread of the virus.