As key metrics on the spread of the coronavirus remain low in New York state, officials say the Unified Court System has started to summon upstate residents to sit on grand juries and report for service in mid July.

“This milestone development follows several weeks of careful planning and coordination with our justice partners, during which we have identified and retrofitted appropriate space and developed new protocols to ensure that grand jury proceedings will be safely conducted,” Chief Judge Janet DiFiore said in a video statement posted Monday.