Albany, New York. Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Law firm employees in New York's Capital Region were allowed to return to their offices Wednesday after officials loosened COVID-19 business restrictions for the area.

The relaxed rules are the latest reopening move as New York continues to navigate through its regional plan to bring back certain businesses that were closed due to COVID-19 lockdown measures.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the reopening announcement Tuesday afternoon and issued a statement saying that a team of experts had reviewed Capital Region data and confirmed it was safe to move forward with phase two of New York's reopening plan. That phase includes the reopening of office-based jobs, real estate services, in-store retail shopping and "limited" hair salon and barbershop services.

"As more businesses begin to reopen in this next phase, residents should remain responsible and diligent and continue to follow all social distancing and other public health guidelines to help prevent an increase in the spread of the virus," Cuomo said in a statement.

Even as the pandemic's grip on the state has waned, the news highlights a continuing gap between upstate and downstate New York over which businesses are allowed to open. Suburban downstate counties remain in phase one, which allows for construction, agriculture and manufacturing operations to come back online. 

Although the business restrictions have been loosened for Albany, Robert Schofield, co-managing partner at Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, said attorneys and paralegals continue to work remotely, unless there's a project that requires their presence. There is a small group of certain staff members working in the office, he added.

Melissa Zambri, who is managing director of the Albany office at Barclay Damon, said the firm's offices in Syracuse and Rochester reopened this week and the Albany and Buffalo offices are set to reopen Thursday. But the firm is limiting office occupancy and implementing one-way traffic in narrow hallways, among other measures, she said.

John Elmore, with the Law Offices of Steve Boyd and John Elmore, has an office in Western New York, a region that also recently entered phase two of the reopening plan.

They have made physical modifications to the office, bought personal protective equipment and purchased a device that takes a person's temperature, he said. They plan to slowly bring people back to the office and plan to take the temperature of all staff members every day, he said.

The state has also released mandatory practices and recommended best practices for businesses that primarily use offices. The guidelines recommended strict "clean-desk policies," along with modifying the number of workstations so that employees are at least six feet apart. 

It also mentions closing "non-essential amenities" and recommends adding desks to meeting spaces or conference rooms.