With coronavirus infections increasing rapidly across the state, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone warned residents today that the county could be entering a “dangerous period” of the outbreak, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo said further statewide restrictions may be necessary to curb the spread.
“We have to at this moment do everything we can to get these numbers back under control so that we can protect this economic recovery,” Bellone said.
Bellone encouraged residents to avoid gatherings this weekend “to the maximum extent possible.”
“If you can stay home with your family this weekend, this is a good time to do so,” he said. “If you do find yourself at a gathering indoors, it is critically important that you follow the guidance. Wear that mask. Pay attention to social distancing.”
STAY INFORMED: Coronavirus coverage, charts, case data
Earlier this afternoon, Cuomo announced that he will convene an emergency COVID-19 meeting this weekend with governors of five other northeastern states to discuss possible new restrictions that may affect the entire region.
“I believe the situation is going to continue to deteriorate over the coming weeks,” Cuomo told reporters on a conference call. “I think you’ll see an increasing rise in the number of cases.”
“Working with our surrounding states,” he added, “is more important than ever.”
New York’s test positivity rate climbed above 3% several times this week for the first time since early May, after hovering around or below 1% since the state got control of the first outbreak in early summer.
The number of new positive cases in New York State jumped to 5,401 today. Hospitalizations across the state are slowly beginning to rise as well, Cuomo said.
Suffolk County has also seen a resurgence of infections to levels not seen since the spring, a spike that Bellone called “alarming” in his call this afternoon.
“Our seven-day average is now over 300 cases,” Bellone said. “Compare that to the average for the prior week, which was 119.”
Cuomo also pointed to the surging seven-day infection rates in New York’s surrounding states, including New Jersey (6.4%) and Connecticut (4.3%). “We are in the midst of a sea of covid rising around us,” he said.
This week, New York implemented its first statewide restrictions since the state began reopening in late May. The rules, which go into effect tonight, prohibit indoor and outdoor service at restaurants, bars and gyms between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Private indoor gatherings are also now limited to 10 people.
“We know the places of spread are bars, restaurants, gyms and the new problem of indoor house gatherings,” Cuomo said. “We call it ‘living room spread.’”
Starting today, Suffolk County will increase its enforcement efforts with additional COVID-19 enforcement teams to boost compliance efforts at local businesses.
More restrictions may be necessary to curb the increase New York is seeing in infections, Cuomo said — but he emphasized the importance of acting in unison with other neighboring states in the region.
“We want to make sure that we can align policies as much as possible,” he said.
Cooperation with other states will be key to avoid residents from one state traveling to another nearby state to get around tight restrictions.
“We’ll have an emergency meeting over the weekend where we’ll talk about policies,” Cuomo said. “We want to if the policy changes we just made have any effect over the weekend, and then we’ll see where we are on Monday.”
Bellone is asking Suffolk residents to avoid gatherings as much as possible in the coming days so the county can avoid the need for additional restrictions.
“I know people are exhausted dealing with the virus,” Bellone said. “But now is the time to rise to the occasion once again.”
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
