Katie Blasl
Katie, winner of the 2016 James Murphy Cub Reporter of the Year award from the L.I. Press Club, is a reporter, editor and web developer for the LOCAL news websites. A Riverhead native, she is a 2014 graduate of Stony Brook University.
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Health
Suffolk County tops 10,000 coronavirus cases with local hospitals running out of ICU beds
Total coronavirus cases rose above 10,000 in Suffolk County and 100,000 in New York State, the largest single-day leap so far for both the county and the state.
There were just 64 ICU beds available countywide as of yesterday.
Health
Riverhead, Suffolk libraries use 3D printers to make face shields for local hospitals battling equipment shortages
Libraries across Suffolk County, including Riverhead Free Library, are employing their 3D printers to create face shields for local hospitals, which are facing a critical shortage of protective gear during the coronavirus outbreak.
Health
Suffolk coronavirus cases increase by 1,000+ in 24 hours, Long Island numbers are ‘troubling news,’ Cuomo says
Suffolk County is reporting an increase of more than 1,000 new coronavirus cases in a 24-hour period, a number that Governor Andrew Cuomo called “troubling” during his press briefing this morning.
“You see those numbers growing in Nassau and Suffolk, and that is starting to stress that healthcare system,” Cuomo said.
Health
Eight dead in coronavirus outbreak at Peconic Landing, at least 15 employees test positive
Eight residents of Peconic Landing have now died from COVID-19 as the retirement community battles an outbreak among members and staff.
Peconic Landing says it currently has 10 residents and 15 employees diagnosed with coronavirus.
Aquebogue Elementary School
During coronavirus school closures, Riverhead teachers find creative ways to cheer up students stuck at home
Local teachers have staged drive-by “parades,” rallied alumni to record videos on social media and conducted school-wide campaigns to create signs with messages of encouragement for local students stuck at home.
Health
Two more Riverhead school employees test positive for coronavirus, district will no longer report individual cases to parents
Two more staff members at Riverhead Central School District have tested positive for COVID-19. One employee works at Riverhead Middle School; the other works at Pulaski Street School.
Health
Coronavirus cases now doubling every three days across New York, peak expected to arrive faster and more aggressively
The projected peak of hospitalizations in New York is now expected to be higher and arrive sooner than previously forecast, according to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was visibly distraught at his press conference this morning.
Health
As Suffolk coronavirus cases spike to over 1,000, New York approves building temporary hospitals at Stony Brook University, SUNY Westbury
Stony Brook University is one of four locations selected for temporary field hospitals to treat coronavirus patients, along with SUNY/Old Westbury, the Javits Center in Manhattan and the Westchester Convention Center.
Health
New York is shutting down: Most businesses ordered closed, all non-essential workers must stay home, ban on social gatherings
New York State is taking some of the most extreme measures in the nation to slow the spread of coronavirus, ordering all non-essential businesses to keep workers at home, banning social gatherings of any size and implementing even more drastic restrictions for vulnerable populations.
Business News
New York orders more businesses closed: Barber shops, nail salons, haircutters, tattoo parlors
New York is closing all hair salons, barber shops, nail salons, tattoo or piercing parlors, hair removal services and related personal care services by Saturday at 8 p.m., along with New Jersey, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
