By Jennifer Nigro, Esq.

 

The courthouses in Central Islip and Brooklyn are open, but, access is limited to the following:

• persons ordered to appear by any judge of the EDNY;

• debtors and creditors with case-related business before the Bankruptcy Court;

• government employees authorized to appear by their employer;

• defendants required to report to pretrial service or the probation department, only when directed by an officer;

• contractors authorized to appear by the Office of the District Executive;

• US postal workers, private mail carriers and delivery services;

• law enforcement personnel;

• credentialed courthouse press;

• family members of criminal defendants attending scheduled proceedings;

• victims and their family members attending scheduled proceedings;

• jurors in on-going trials and grand jurors.

If, however, any of the persons listed above have visited any country currently under a US travel ban* within the last 14 days, they are prohibited from entering the Courthouse, as well as persons who reside or had close contact with someone who had visited such countries within the last 14 days; persons who have been diagnosed with or had contact with a person diagnosed with COVID-19; and persons who have been asked to self-quarantine by a doctor, hospital or health agency.

* China, South Korea, Japan, Italy and Iran, Europe (Schengen Area: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City), United Kingdom and Ireland: England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Administrative Order 2020-05 (AO 2020-05), as amended by Administrative Order 2020-08 (AO 2020-08), issued on March 17, 2020.  Link: https://img.nyed.uscourts.gov/files/general-ordes/2020-03-17_ADMINISTRATIVE_ORDER_2020-08.pdf