Courthouses in 30 counties will reopen within the next week.

The reopenings in the seven North Country counties of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis and St. Lawrence will come on Wednesday, May 20. Other counties — including Broome, Chemung, Chenago, Delaware, Schuyler, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming, Yates, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Otsego and Schoharie — will happen two days earlier on Monday, May 18.

The reopening dates, which apply to regions given the green light by the state to start the first phase of reopening starting Friday, were announced in a news release from the New York State Court System on Wednesday, on behalf of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore and Chief Administrative Judge Lawrence K. Marks.

While remaining open for business during the pandemic, the court system had limited operations, consolidated court facilities, implemented and expanded virtual court operations, and taken a wide range of other measures over the past two months to restrict courthouse traffic and contain the spread of COVID-19. With guidance from public health officials, plans to safely resume more normalized court operations have been ongoing.

Beginning next week, New York state court system judges and chambers staff, along with designated clerks and support staff, in the previously named upstate counties will return to their courthouses.

New cases may be filed electronically.

Courthouse areas that will be used in this first phase include judges’ chambers, clerks’ offices and back offices. Social distancing and other steps restricting courthouse traffic will be enforced to protect the health and safety of judges and staff, attorneys, litigants and members of the public.

Among other safety measures:

¯ Non-employee court visitors will be required to undergo COVID-19 screening before entering the courthouse.

¯ All staff who interact with court visitors must wear masks.

¯ Anyone entering the courthouse will be required to wear a mask, with masks available for those who need one.

¯ Courtroom and other areas will be carefully marked to ensure proper physical distancing.

¯ Court facilities will be regularly sanitized.

¯ Hand sanitizer dispensers will be available throughout the courthouse.

¯ Acrylic barriers and other safety features will be installed in courthouse areas as needed.

The plans in these jurisdictions will serve as a template for the return of judges and staff

to courthouses in other counties of the state.

“I look forward to next week’s return of judges and staff to courthouse facilities in many of our upstate counties marking a major first step in our resumption to in-person court operations,” DiFiore said in a statement. “I am thankful to Administrative Judges Craig Doran and Anthony Cannataro, who are leading our statewide planning efforts, and to all the judges and staff in these upstate counties, for their hard work in preparation for this milestone.”

“As we enter this first phase of our return to our courthouses, we will move carefully and steadily,” Marks said. “We will regularly review our safety and other practices, adapting our protocols and facilities as needed, as we strive to serve the justice needs of New Yorkers while balancing the safety of all those who work in and visit our courthouses.”