Coronavirus on Long Island: Updates from June 11
Jia Ling Hu of Franklin Square gets his haircut by Patricia Ortiz at Pioneer Hair Salon in Rockville Centre on Wednesday as barbershops and salons reopen under Phase 2. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Newsday is providing all readers with access to this breaking news blog on important developments about the coronavirus and our community.
Watch Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone's press briefing:
Watch Gov. Andrew Cuomo's press briefing
Watch Nassau County Executive Laura Curran's press briefing
What's happening:
- A telehealth model for substance abuse counseling is being permanently incorporated into Babylon Town’s treatment center after being used successfully during the pandemic.
- The Town of Huntington is ending its hiatus on public hearings. Officials will conduct the hearings online using a preregistration system for residents who want to be heard.
- The CDC is warning that disinfectants and bleach shouldn't be used on food and skin after a report found one-third of those surveyed were misusing the cleaning products.
Thursday afternoon updates
Watch Nassau County Executive Laura Curran's town hall:
Bellone: Suffolk offers free PPE to small business
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said as Phase 2 of the reopening begins, the county is making available free personal protective equipment to small business, nonprofits and faith-based organizations.
Bellone said the county has 1,000 kits to give away to help employers adjust to the new COVID-19 prevention needs and applications for them can be made on the county’s website. The supplies can be picked up at the county’s FRES (Fire and Rescue center) in Yaphank, he said.
Another 48 people tested positive in the last 24 hours in Suffolk, a number Bellone said was a good indicator of the virus decline.
Hospitalizations went down again with 14 less people in hospitals for the virus and 151 in total.
Fifteen people were discharged from hospitals and four more people died from COVID-19. — NEWSDAY STAFF
Hospitals continue to see decline in COVID-19 patients
Catholic Health Services on Thursday said it has dipped below 100 hospitalized COVID-19 patients at its six hospitals, all of which are on Long Island.At the peak, Rockville Centre-based CHS had about 900 COVID-19 patients, said Dr. Patrick O'Shaughnessy, its executive vice president and chief clinical officer."Mask wearing and social distancing has made a major impact," he said. Separately, New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health said it admitted nine COVID-19 patients over the last 24 hours at the 19 hospitals it owns and operates. That number has remained essentially flat over the last week. "It's a very low number," said Terry Lynam, a Northwell spokesman. Northwell has a total of 372 COVID-19 patients at its facilities, down 24% from the same period a week ago.Every Long Island hospital in the Northwell system has reported a decrease over the last week. - DAVID REICH-HALE
Cuomo: Localities can open public pools and playgrounds
The state is now allowing localities to open public pools and playgrounds at their discretion, using their judgement while following state guidance, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Thursday.
The governor also said at his daily news briefing that five regions will be entering Phase 3 of the state’s reopening plans on Friday. Those regions are the Finger Lakes, Central New York, the Mohawk Valley, the North Country and the Southern Tier, according to a slide presented during the briefing.
As New York State continues to roll out its reopening, Cuomo said there is one number to watch closely and that’s the daily COVID-19 testing numbers.
“We do about 50,000 tests per day. We report those numbers the next day,” the governor said.According to test results from the past few days, the number of positive COVID-19 cases on Long Island was at 0.9% of all tests from Tuesday to Wednesday, down from 1.1% on Monday. – NEWSDAY STAFF
Thursday morning updates
NYC restaurants affected by COVID-19 eligible for grants to pay workers
New York City restaurants hurt by the coronavirus shutdown will be eligible for grants of up to $30,000 to pay workers.
First Lady Chirlane McCray, who co-chairs the city’s racial inclusion and equity task force, said Thursday that the grants would subsidize the wages of 1,000 workers.
The grants would pay for wages of $20 per hour for at least six weeks, according to a slide presented during Mayor Bill de Blasio’s daily briefing, where the grants were announced.
The funding will focus on the 27 communities hardest hit by COVID-19.The money will come from the Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity, the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City and the organization One Fair Wage.Restaurant owners can apply for the program at www.nyc.gov/opportunity. – NEWSDAY STAFF
