President Trump's positive test

President Trump has 'mild symptoms' after testing positive

The revelation came in a Trump tweet about 1 a.m., after he returned from an afternoon political fundraiser without telling the crowd he had been exposed to an aide with the virus.

First lady Melania Trump also tested positive, the president said, and several others in the White House have, too — prompting concern that the White House or even Trump himself might have spread the virus further. Vice President Mike Pence has tested negative, along with both Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden and his running mate, Kamala Harris.

Trump’s campaign manager announced Friday that all campaign events involving the president and his family will either be turned into virtual events or postponed until further notice.

The diagnosis drew reactions around the world, and adds uncertainty about its effect on the Nov. 3 election. Trump joins a small group of world leaders who have been infected.

Cuomo wishes Trumps well, warns local governments about enforcement

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Friday offered his wishes for a quick recovery to President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump.

"My thoughts are with President Trump and the first lady and I wish them a full and speedy recovery. This virus is vicious and spreads easily," Cuomo said in a statement. "Wear a mask. Let's all look out for each other."

And during a briefing on Friday, Cuomo called again for stepped-up enforcement to curtail spread in hot spots in New York City and several counties.

He said the state is putting local governments in areas with clusters of cases on notice — either they enforce the laws to contain spread or they will be deemed in violation, which an aide said could lead to fines of up to $10,000 a day.

The number of new positives reported today: 105 in Nassau, 104 in Suffolk, 599 in New York City and 1,598 statewide.

The map above shows the concentration of new cases in Long Island communities. Search the map and view charts showing the latest local trends in new cases, testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.

COVID-19 has young Long Islanders making wills and health plans

Attorney Melissa Negrin-Wiener has spent nearly two decades drafting emergency health plans and wills, but has never seen so many young Long Islanders contemplate sickness and death.

"This is something that, really, they just kind of pushed to the side in the past," said Negrin-Wiener, partner at the Melville-based Genser Cona Elder Law firm. "Hearing about all these younger people who are getting sick — and some are passing — from COVID has opened everyone's eyes."

The pandemic has prompted people of all ages to assess their wishes, but attorneys call the growing number of young clients a cultural shift. Typically, people seek out planning services when they're approaching retirement, although others act after having children or watching a loved one grow ill or die, according to those in the field.

SUNY introduces new sanctions to combat spread on campus

New rules took effect Thursday across SUNY's 64-campus network that say students ignoring quarantine orders, refusing to wear a mask and hosting or even attending parties that exceed attendance limits are grounds for punishment. It's part of ramped-up efforts to stop COVID-19 spread on its campuses.

Some violations carry stiff penalties, including suspension and expulsion.

"Intentional or otherwise, there continues to be some individuals violating these critical measures on campuses, increasing the chances of spreading the coronavirus and shutting down on-campus activity," SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said in a statement, referring to safety protocols. "While a vast majority of our students are complying with the rules, we cannot let a few people ruin it for everyone."

LI schools begin letting more kids return to classrooms

Some Long Island school systems have begun following through with plans to allow students in certain grade levels or buildings to return at a greater capacity, even as some report positive cases.

The cases, district leaders say, have remained low enough that they feel confident in allowing more students to enter their buildings at once.

In many districts, students have been learning remotely while attending classes at school only a few days a week. But most districts outlined an intention to eventually bring back all students five days a week, contingent on a low rate of infection, successful implementation of new health and safety protocols, and other factors.

Port Washington began Tuesday allowing all kids at its five elementary schools to return to in-person instruction full time.

"We were planning all along to have all our kids come back, we just needed to make sure we were ready administratively," said Michael Hynes, superintendent of the Port Washington school district.

More to know

Unemployment claims on Long Island have declined, with 5,568 jobless claims filed last week — down nearly 6% from the 5,923 claims filed a week prior, the state Labor Department said. The U.S. unemployment rate for September fell to 7.9%, down from 8.4% in August, the federal Labor Department said.

New York’s gross domestic product fell 36.3% in the second quarter compared with the first quarter of 2020. It's among the states with the biggest drop in economic activity in the April-June period as businesses shut down, according to data.

New York has been awarded an $18 million federal grant to fund training programs for in-demand jobs and help small businesses rebound from the pandemic.

Up to half of New York City restaurants and bars in business before the pandemic could close permanently within a year, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli warned in a report.

Activists and tenants hauled furniture onto Broadway in Manhattan on Thursday, demanding the state "cancel" rent during the pandemic, according to video posted to Twitter.

Starting Nov. 1, Mets employees will begin receiving their full salaries again, ending the pandemic-related pay cuts instituted by the Wilpons, a source said Friday.

News for you

Jones Beach breast cancer walk goes virtual. The annual Long Island Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk — which normally attracts some 65,000 — had to pivot to virtual events, car parades and other activities throughout this month. Find out more.

And the same goes for the pancreatic cancer research walk. The 20th Long Island Walk for Pancreatic Cancer Research still steps off this weekend, but it will also be virtual. Get the details.

An 8-week 'virtual residency' at the Beacon Theatre. Trey Anastasio, a co-founder of the jam band Phish, will play an eight-week virtual residency live from Manhattan's Beacon Theatre starting Oct. 9.

Plus: New York's new app can alert you when you might have been exposed to COVID-19. Here's how to download and use it.

Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.

Commentary

Even during a pandemic, grandpa is just a phone call away. Joe Gentile, of Melville, writes in an essay for Newsday: It was in mid-March when I got the first phone call.

I don’t remember which day it was. One has a tendency not to recollect such details. My son was calling to inform me that the district had closed the schools because of the coronavirus outbreak. And that my grandchildren would be home from school and day care. Just days before I had gotten two of them off the school bus in the afternoon. I said to the bus driver, see you tomorrow. Well, tomorrow never came. And so it started, the spring and summer of 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, over the years I have done my share of taking care of my grandkiddies, as I like to call them. They range from 2 to 8 years old. Since they were infants, everything from changing diapers, feeding and rocking them to sleep and playing with them had become a big part of my life. They say in retirement that it’s important to have a purpose. Something to look forward to when you wake up in the morning. They became my purpose, a way of life I couldn’t imagine losing.

That is why the next phone call was hard to accept. "Hey Dad, the coronavirus is spreading. It’s probably best if we all self-isolate." And so the stay-at-home took effect. Gone was my purpose. Keep reading.