Part of Riverhead, Hampton Bays designated COVID-19 ‘yellow zone,’ bringing new restrictions

Updated, 7:50 p.m. – Part of Riverhead and Hampton Bays have been designated a COVID-19 “yellow zone” micro-cluster, bringing a number of new restrictions on business, schools and social gatherings, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced this morning.

The state released maps of the new micro-cluster zones this afternoon. The Riverhead zone takes in most of the Riverhead hamlet, Riverside and part of Flanders.

Riverhead and Hampton Bays are the only two communities in Suffolk County so far that contain areas meeting the criteria for a COVID-19 micro-cluster, according to the governor. Massapequa Park and Great Neck were also identified today as the first communities in Nassau County that meet micro-cluster status.

Riverhead’s yellow zone area has reached a test positivity rate of 4.6%, and Hampton Bays is at 5.13%, according to the map displayed at the governor’s briefing today. The map did not indicate if those numbers referred to a single-day test positivity rate, or if they represented a seven-day average, which is what the state uses to identify micro-clusters.

The state did not provide information about the positivity rates of the other hamlets in Riverhead Town or if there are other communities in Riverhead Town or Suffolk County that may be approaching micro-cluster status.

The Riverhead hamlet has had a higher number of infections than the other hamlets in the township since the beginning of the crisis. As of yesterday’s report by Suffolk County, the Riverhead hamlet had 669 total confirmed COVID cases, a rate of 47.56 per thousand people. The other hamlets in Riverhead all have cases lower than 30 per 1,000 people.

Riverside has had 116 confirmed cases (36.81 per thousand people), according to Suffolk County data. Hampton Bays has had 401 confirmed cases (28.08 per thousand).

Under New York’s micro-cluster guidelines, an area is designated a “yellow zone” when the seven-day average positivity rate remains above 2.5% for 10 days. Areas are designated an orange zone if the seven-day average rises above 3% for 10 days, and a red zone if it rises above 4% for 10 days.

Schools in a yellow zone are mandated by state law to test 20% of their students, faculty and staff in order to remain open. Riverhead Central School District began testing Friday. The Hampton Bays school district began testing Thursday.

Restaurants in yellow zones may remain open for indoor and outdoor service, but only serve four people per table.

Non-residential gatherings are capped at 25 people, both indoors and outdoors. New York State already banned residential gatherings of more than 10 people statewide in new guidance that went into effect earlier this month.

Churches and houses of worship in yellow zones must limit capacity to 50%.

The state’s more severe restrictions are currently reserved for orange and red zones. Schools are closed for in-person learning in both orange and red zones. Red zone restrictions resemble the statewide lockdown in the spring, with all non-essential businesses closed and all social gatherings prohibited.

Editor’s note: This story has been amended to reflect details about the micro-cluster zone made available on a map released by the state this afternoon.