{"id":7535,"date":"2020-03-26T10:23:27","date_gmt":"2020-03-26T17:23:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=7535"},"modified":"2022-06-15T17:45:25","modified_gmt":"2022-06-15T17:45:25","slug":"business-tumbles-at-new-york-state-clinics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/business-tumbles-at-new-york-state-clinics\/","title":{"rendered":"Business Tumbles at Many N.Y. Veterinary Hospitals"},"content":{"rendered":"

While nearly all New York State veterinary practices have remained open during the COVID-19 pandemic, caseloads have dropped by more than 50% at half of the hospitals surveyed.<\/p>\n

The New York State Veterinary Medical Society found that 3% of clinics surveyed were closed as of March 25, a rise of 1 percentage point from March 18. Over the same period, practices that reported business declines<\/a> of more than 50% rose from 8% to 51%.<\/p>\n

The falloff in business coincided with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo telling state residents to stay at home as much as possible to help fight the coronavirus crisis. Many businesses were ordered closed, but veterinary practices were classified as \u201cessential\u201d<\/a> and exempt.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome of you are concerned that the new guidelines \u2026 give veterinarians too much freedom to operate,\u201d Veterinary Medical Society executive director Tim Atkinson wrote to members March 23. \u201cI think that a better way to view the breadth of these new guidelines is that the N.Y. State government is putting more trust in veterinarians to make the right decisions about balancing the health of animals, public health, and the health of their staff and clients.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the practices surveyed, 37% were taking emergency cases only as of March 25, up from 9% one week earlier. Four out of five hospitals were allowing pets to be dropped off only, leaving clients on the outside.<\/p>\n

For practices considering performing essential duties only, the Veterinary Medical Society advised members to ask themselves:<\/p>\n