Coronavirus on Long Island: Updates for May 12

Bellone: Testing, contact tracing key to reopening

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said the key to reopening Suffolk County will be testing and having an aggressive contact tracing program.

Contact tracing means tracking down and alerting those who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus.

The state total for those testing positive in Suffolk is 37,062, not including antibody tests, he said.

Bellone said it will also be important to maintain social distancing and wear face coverings, a practice he called "absolutely vital."

He said the infection rate must also stay or go below the current 1.1, meaning one person infects just one other person.

Bellone said the state data system continues to be down, delaying information about hospitalizations.

But from May 10, the county executive said hospitalizations declined by 15 to 575, the first time it has gone below 600 since the end of March.

Another 15 people died of the virus during that 24-hour period, bringing the total deaths to 1,654.

Hospital capacity remains at 70 percent, and hospitalizations have declined for more than 14 days, meeting two CDC metrics for reopening.

Bellone said Rite-Aid pharmacies in Shirley and Selden will be doing free virus testing but you must pre-register on their website, be 18 and older and have to present identification. — NEWSDAY STAFF

Cuomo pushes federal stimulus

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, at his daily COVID-19 briefing Tuesday, pushed for a federal stimulus bill that he said must be responsive to working families while stopping what he called "corporate bailout boondoggles."

Cuomo outlined areas that he said should be covered by the bill, including payroll protection, landlord and renter assistance, state testing and tracing, and the repeal of the SALT cap, the $10,000 cap on federal tax deductions for state and local property and income taxes.

He said that states hit hard by the coronavirus, such as New York, are the same whose residents have felt the adverse effects of the SALT cap. "It was a theft by Washington to increase taxes … and it hurt homeowners," he said.

Cuomo also called for investment in public infrastructure, which he called "long overdue." "If you can't agree on a stimulus to rebuild the country today, when are you going to do it?" he said at the briefing, held at SUNY Binghamton.

Cuomo also said that there were now about 100 cases statewide of an inflammatory disease in children and other young people that has been linked to the coronavirus. Three young people have died as a result.

"If we have this issue in New York, it's probably in other states and it probably hasn’t been diagnosed yet" because affected children "don't present the usual COVID symptoms," he said.

Overall, the state continued to see decreases in COVID-19 hospitalizations, intubations and deaths, as measured on a daily basis. A total of 195 New Yorkers died on Monday of COVID-19, he said. — NEWSDAY STAFF

Romney: Testing rate 'nothing to celebrate'

Sen. Mitt Romney, a Utah Republican who has been critical of President Donald Trump, said America's coronavirus testing rate is "nothing to celebrate" at a Senate panel hearing on Tuesday.

Romney questioned Dr. Anthony Fauci over whether former President Barack Obama, or Trump himself, were responsible for the lack of a vaccine.

Fauci responded: "No senator. Not at all. Certainly neither President Obama or Trump are responsible for the lack of a vaccine."

Romney questioned Fauci about his relationship with Trump.

"In no way, in my experience has there been any confrontational relationship between us," Fauci said. — ROBERT BRODSKY

Fauci: Virus not 'completely under control'

At a Senate panel hearing Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, asked Dr. Anthony Fauci whether the United States has the virus under control, as has been stated repeatedly by President Donald Trump.

Fauci said that while the numbers are moving in the right direction, with the curve looking flat in some areas, other areas are seeing a spike in cases.

"It depends on what you mean by containment," Fauci said. "If you think we have it completely under control, we don't." — ROBERT BRODSKY

Fauci: Reasonable assumption of coronavirus immunity for recovered

Dr. Anthony Fauci, responding to questions from Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul at a Senate panel hearing on Tuesday, said there is a "reasonable assumption" that individuals who have recovered from the coronavirus have some form of immunity to it.

But he added that "we don't know everything about the virus."

Paul, who previously tested positive for the virus, said it was "ridiculous" that all schools were forced to close because of the virus, noting that some states, including Kentucky, have seen a relatively low number of cases and deaths.

But Fauci urged caution about rushing kids back into the classroom, pointing to a mysterious set of symptoms that appear to be linked to COVID-19 and have stricken children. Three children have died, including a Suffolk County youth. — ROBERT BRODSKY

NYU Winthrop says it’s down to 145 COVID-19 patients

NYU Winthrop said it had 145 COVID-19 hospitalized patients, down 17% from the same period last week. It's also down 67% from the hospital's peak of 433 patients April 9.

A spokeswoman added that NYU Langone has treated more than 4,500 COVID-19 patients since the pandemic began. — DAVID REICH-HALE

COVID-19 death toll likely higher, Fauci says

The nation's official death toll from COVID-19, which currently stands at nearly 82,000, is likely higher, Dr. Anthony Fauci said in testimony to a Senate panel on Tuesday. He pointed to cases in New York City during the height of the outbreak where residents likely died in their home but were not tested for the virus.

Fauci said the antiviral drug Remdesivir has shown promise in helping patients recover from the virus but that having treatments available to help students returning to class in the fall "is a bit of a bridge too far." — ROBERT BRODSKY

Fauci's warning on reopening early

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, told a Senate panel Tuesday that the consequences for states and cities re-opening their economies prematurely "could be serious."

A career public health official leading the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Fauci testified remotely — along with three other senior officials leading the government's response to the coronavirus pandemic — before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

Fauci expressed concern that some states have begun to re-open businesses without meeting federal recommendations and criteria — including a 14-day decline in cases, deaths and hospitalizations — which could lead to "little spikes that might turn into outbreaks." — ROBERT BRODSKY

De Blasio: 52 cases reported of pediatric illness linked to coronavirus

Fifty-two children have been sickened by an inflammatory syndrome linked to the coronavirus, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said Tuesday.

And the number could be even higher — de Blasio said 10 cases are still pending.

Nearly half — 25 — of the children tested positive for the coronavirus. Another 22 had antibodies for the virus, de Blasio said.

As of Monday, hospitals across the state had reported 93 cases of the illness, which can cause inflamed muscles and breathing problems, state officials said. Three children have died.
De Blasio on Monday urged guardians to call a doctor immediately if a child exhibits symptoms like persistent fever, rash, abdominal pain or vomiting.

"Early detection, early action makes all the difference," he said. — NEWSDAY STAFF

Northwell: 25% drop week over week

Northwell Health on Tuesday said it had 1,067 COVID-19 patients at its 19 hospitals, a 25% drop from the same period a week ago.

Northwell has reported a daily decrease in the number of hospitalized patients 31 of the last 32 days, and each day this month. The largest health system in the state said it had 735 patients at Long Island hospitals, a 23% decrease from last Tuesday.

Northwell added that 34% of patients at all its hospitals are in an ICU. That percentage has remained consistent over the last few weeks. — DAVID REICH-HALE