Recap: Covid-19 Cases Surge in State

New York State is approaching 85,000 cases of coronavirus infections, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday. 

Long Island has more than 17,000 infections, 145 of them fatal.

Cuomo also said that Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is creating 500,000 test kits for the state for free. The first batch of test kits was delivered on Monday and the state will receive an ongoing delivery of 25,000 kits per day. Additionally, Corning has donated 100,000 tubes and provided an additional 500,000 tubes to the state at reduced cost and expedited delivery, and Puritan has sold medical swabs to the State. 

He also ordered the playgrounds closed in New York City. “I’ve talked about this for weeks. I warned people that if they didn’t stop the density and the games in the playgrounds – you can’t play basketball; you can’t come in contact with each other – that we would close the playgrounds,” he said.

Suffolk County reported 69 deaths, up 16 from Tuesday, with 897 patients  hospitalized, up 189 from Tuesday; 272 of those are in the intensive care unit, up 43 from Tuesday. 

Huntington has 1,203 infections, up from 1,086 on Tuesday.

Other news:

  • Suffolk police officers are patrolling on foot in some business areas, including a part New York Avenue in Huntington Station.  They are ensuring compliance with the governor’s orders involving non-essential businesses and other directives. 
  • Suffolk County is surveying business owners 
  • The Town of Huntington Department of Maritime Services has delayed the opening of Town Maritime facilities because of the presence and usage of high-touch surfaces and close proximity to other patrons at these facilities.
  • Thursday’s  Zoning Board of Appeals meeting and all scheduled public hearings will be postponed until further notice.ew Yorkers without health insurance can apply through the State of Health within 60 days of losing coverage.
  • Testing is free for all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider.
  • New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
  • Union leaders want school bus companies to keep employees on the payroll even though schools are closed until at least April 15. Newsday reported Tuesday that Baumann & Sons was laying off 900 employees because of the shutdown. The company provides transportation in several districts, including Northport, Commack and South Huntington. John R. Durso, President of the Long Island Federation of Labor said, “We urge school bus companies to keep their employees on the payroll during the period when schools are shut down.  This makes sense because the bus companies will be paid by local school districts, and the state will continue to support the local districts.”
  • Harvard Medical School has a list of resources for non-English speaking residents.

Dr. Alfred V. Sforza, Former Legislator O’Neill Die

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