In cubicles and home offices, dozens of committees have been meeting via computer as they plot the reopening of cities, and in New York and New Jersey, Orthodox members of these panels are advocating for the needs of their communities as well. Will we see a change in policy regarding weddings, camps, shuls, schools and yeshivos?

It crept up upon the world months ago as rumors of a frightful disease in far-off China, then rapidly metastasized into a full-blown calamity that visited virtually every metropolis across the globe. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 300,000, wiped out entire economies, and locked millions inside their homes. New York was particularly hard-hit, with nearly a thousand deaths a day. Now, though, with the numbers drastically down — Friday saw 132 victims — and several countries around the world beginning to ease their lockdown regulations, the next phase is looming.

Actually, the reopening of New York and New Jersey is more than looming; it is being heavily pushed by a variety of groups. Industry wants to get people shopping again. The political right wants to get people back to work. Religious groups want to reopen shuls and houses of worship. Nonprofits want to begin fundraising so they can cover the costly upsurge in those seeking social services. Parents want kids in school, and they want to know what will happen this summer.

Most of all, people are frustrated by the lack of transparency. They seek clarity in what the government plans next. How long will distancing laws be in effect? When can shuls open? Will there be summer camp? Day camp?

“We’re not getting the kind of clear guidance from the government that we need,” acknowledged Rabbi Chaim Dovid Zwiebel, the executive vice president of Agudath Israel of America.

In cubicles and home offices, dozens of committees and panels have been meeting via Zoom or WebEx as they plot the reopening of cities and states that are no longer being actively devastated by COVID-19. These panels typically count between 25 and 45 members, will meet weekly until the area is fully reopened, and depending on their area, have more or less power to actually make policy.

In New Jersey, for example, Governor Phil Murphy set up a committee to help reopen the state, as well as several subpanels. The main committee, of which the director of the state’s Agudath Israel office, Avi Schnall, is a member, will be formulating actual policy that will be implemented by the government.

“We’re not going to be his voice to the community, we’re going to be the community’s voice to him,” Rabbi Schnall said, referring to the governor.

In New York City, Mayor Bill de Blasio set up panels for each of ten sectors to help guide him as the city emerges from the virus. On the state level, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is not taking orders from anyone; he issued a list of seven metrics that must be met for each of the state’s ten regions to ease lockdown regulations. Five regions have already met the criteria, while the other five, including New York City, still have a way to go.

The two most important of the seven criteria include a two-week decline in hospitalization and death rates. The rates are calculated over a three-day average, not every day, to circumvent single-day blips. Alternatively, the regions can satisfy this metric if the daily increase in hospitalizations is below fifteen for two weeks straight, or below five deaths.

Other metrics require the region to see fewer than two new hospitalizations per 100,000 residents, at least thirty percent of their hospital and ICU beds available, and conduct thirty tests per 1,000 residents each month. Each region must also appoint enough contact tracers, the term for illness detectives who research the interactions of those diagnosed with the virus.

Regardless of when a region is allowed to “open,” face masks will be common and social distancing will be required in public places. The traditional minyan, tish or chasunah, if rules are observed correctly, will look distinctly different than in the pre-COVID era.

Both de Blasio’s and Murphy’s groups include Orthodox members. I spoke to most of them about their expectations, why they feel they were selected to join the panels and how they intend to utilize the opportunity to bring community issues to authorities’ attention.