A pandemic, and learning at a distance

Students told to stay away

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced that SUNY and CUNY colleges will move to a distance-learning model, as a precautionary measure, starting on March 19.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in New York State increased by 39 cases since Tuesday to 212, as the state looked to step up testing, with 28 laboratories helping to increase capacity.

Nassau County's number went up to 28, with nine new cases since Tuesday, and Suffolk grew to six cases. 

Long Island town governments are monitoring the spread, limiting some senior services and urging the public to stay away from town facilities.

A pandemic

Expressing increasing alarm about mounting infections, the World Health Organization declared that the global coronavirus crisis is now a pandemic, which means it occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population. 

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who heads the UN agency, said the WHO is “deeply concerned by the alarming levels of spread and severity” of the outbreak. He also expressed concern about “the alarming levels of inaction.”

"All countries can still change the course of this pandemic — if countries detect, test, treat, isolate, trace and mobilize their people in the response," he said.

Testing on Long Island

Northwell scientists ramped up the amount of coronavirus tests they process at their Lake Success laboratory Wednesday, expanding from about 60 tests a day to as many as 500.

The new semiautomatic testing, as the scientists call it, means that people who believe they have the virus can potentially get tested faster.

As well, they said the higher volume of testing will allow the lab to do more testing on people who are not among the sickest and most vulnerable people.

Meanwhile, Stony Brook University Hospital executives are anxiously waiting for a back-ordered machine that will allow it to start manually testing for the coronavirus, cutting the wait time from two days or more to a few hours, doctors say. 

Fewer flights

Airlines say they expect a downturn in ridership and have cut flights. 

Concerns about coronavirus have permeated airports. At MacArthur Airport in Ronkonkoma, the staff busily cleaned terminal seats, doors and restrooms.

Several people said they wore masks, if not gloves, on their flights — and couldn't wait to get home.

Questions and answers

The topic of coronavirus testing has been a key point of confusion and controversy since the outbreak began.

What does the test entail? Who should get tested? Where should you get the test?

We talked to experts and have answers. 

More to know

The stock market continued its gyrations, with the Dow closing down more than 1,400 points, falling into a bear market for the first time since the 2008 financial crisis.

House passage of a coronavirus aid package could come this week as Congress rebuffs President Donald Trump's proposed payroll tax break and focuses on immediate sick pay and unemployment benefits. The director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases warned that the outbreak in the U.S. will get worse.

The NBA's Golden State Warriors intend to play at least one home game without fans, against the New Jersey Nets, and four high school state tournament boys basketball games have been rescheduled with a restriction on how many spectators can attend, 

Five Broadway shows will offer all remaining tickets for their March 12-29 performances for a sale price of $50, beginning Thursday at noon. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is postponed from April  to the weekends of Oct. 9 and 16. And "The Wendy Williams Show," "The View" and "Live with Kelly and Ryan" are among the New York-based shows that will begin filming without a live studio audience.

Pope Francis held his weekly general audience in the privacy of his library Wednesday, communicating via livestream, as the Vatican implemented Italy's drastic virus lockdown measures. Police barred the general public from St. Peter's Square.

News for you

Local school districts, private colleges and cultural groups have been canceling classes and events.

Here's a list of schools with closures, and here is a list of Long Island performing arts venues and other event organizers that have announced cancellations.

Plus, 14 shows to "quaranstream" if you're stuck at home.

COMMENTARY

Sick people and work

Sometimes it takes a momentary crisis to help us see a constant truth, writes Opinion columnist Lane Filler. 

As the coronavirus spreads slowly and the fear of it rages like fire in a haybarn, politicians and activists clamor to assure that workers who call in sick will get paid.

There are proposals floating around Washington to force and fund sick pay during this epidemic but do nothing to institute the policy permanently. Why? Because for many Americans, it’s only in a highly publicized emergency that it’s easy to accept that the sick need the law.