New state added to travel advisory list
California added to quarantine list; travel discouraged from others
A map of states included on the travel advisory list as of Tuesday. Guam and Puerto Rico, not pictured, are also on the list.
In addition to adding California to the list of states from which travelers must quarantine for 14 days upon arrival here, Cuomo also discouraged any non-essential travel to or from Massachusetts.
Massachusetts qualifies to be on the list because of high infection levels, but since it's too interconnected with New York — like those in the tristate area — it won't be included on the list.
Cuomo said in a statement that "given the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between the states, a quarantine on these states is not practically viable."
"That said, New York State highly discourages, to the extent practical, non-essential travel between Connecticut, New Jersey, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania while they meet the travel advisory criteria."
View a map of the current states and territories on the list.
Meanwhile, on Long Island, health authorities have made progress with the infection level in the Five Towns and neighboring areas of Nassau County, County Executive Laura Curran said Tuesday. But she warned that record-breaking cases nationally, more cases in the Nassau schools and a rise in hospitalizations locally are worrisome.
The number of new positives reported today: 119 in Nassau, 112 in Suffolk, 731 in New York City and 1,991 statewide.
The chart below shows the number of people currently hospitalized for the coronavirus in Nassau and Suffolk in recent days.
These bars track how many patients are currently hospitalized for the coronavirus each day.
Search a map and view charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
SUNY: Students must test negative before Thanksgiving break
Students walk through the Stony Brook University campus on Aug. 27. Credit: Newsday/John Paraskevas
State University of New York students will need to test negative for COVID-19 before heading home for Thanksgiving, according to the state’s public higher education system.
"By requiring all students to test negative before leaving, we are implementing a smart, sensible policy that protects students' families and hometown communities and drastically reduces the chances of COVID-19 community spread," SUNY Chancellor Jim Malatras said Tuesday.
SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities will need to submit plans by Nov. 5 that adhere to the new mandate to get about 140,000 students tested.
Nonresidential students who test positive or who are exposed must follow the strict quarantine and isolation guidance from their local county health department, the mandate states. Residential students who test positive will work with their local county health department and the college to isolate or quarantine, according to SUNY. Read more.
How LI students are coping with back at school
Samantha Mack, a senior at Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick. Credit: Barry Sloan
High school senior Samantha Mack said she was worried about returning to school this fall because of COVID-19. But once inside Sanford H. Calhoun High School in Merrick, she said she was overjoyed seeing friends and teachers she hadn't seen in nearly six months.
What many students in March thought would be a few weeks off had turned into a few months of remote learning — and now weeks into this school year, Long Island students say they are happy to be back
But many are feeling a different kind of social disconnect. Students are happy to see their friends, but they say they can't talk to them as much. Many schools have banned the use of lockers, the places where friends often meet and walk together to class. The long communal tables in the cafeteria have been replaced with desks, where they must eat by themselves.
There are 374 Long Island public schools that have taken on the hybrid model of learning, while 210 are doing full five days a week of in-class learning, according to figures from the state Department of Education. A total of 26 schools are fully remote.
When rodents find homes in our homes during a pandemic
Rudy Hofler, director of field operation for Lynbrook-based Arrow Exterminating, stuffs copper steel wool into a hole where rodents can enter a house in Dix Hills. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Something else the pandemic has brought to Long Island homeowners lately: Rodents.
Experts say people spending more time at home are likely to generate more trash, and not following best practices on pest prevention could lead to a problem. But supplies may be running short.
"Restaurants shut down, rodents went to feed," said Michael Deutsch, technical director at Lynbrook-based Arrow Exterminating. "They couldn’t find anything. They moved out in search of food in other neighborhoods that normally wouldn’t have an issue."
While there is only anecdotal evidence of this on Long Island, Deutsch said rodents have been on the prowl, sometimes in residential neighborhoods. Here's what homeowners should know and how to deal with it.
More to know
New York is reinstating restrictions on visits to hospitals, nursing homes and prisons in its coronavirus "red zones" as the state tries to reverse an increase in infections.
Mayor Bill de Blasio and the New York City schools chancellor urged parents to send their children back to classrooms for blended learning next month, arguing it's been proven that schools can open safely.
As the winter approaches, experts say it's important to devise a plan for how to properly cope with the pandemic during that time.
News for you
The Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead will host its annual "Bats, Barnacles & Broomsticks" Halloween Celebration on Oct. 31. Credit: Long Island Aquarium
Plan a socially distant Halloween. Even though it's a pandemic, Halloween does fall on a Saturday this year, and there are still ways to safely celebrate. You can dress up and head to socially distanced events on Long Island. Here are some to consider.
A virtual chat with Alan Zweibel. Join us and Long Island LitFest for a virtual discussion and Q&A with Emmy-winning writer Alan Zweibel about his new memoir "Laugh Lines." Save your spot for the Wednesday night event.
For first-time homebuyers. The Urban League of Long Island will offer a free online workshop for first-time homebuyers on Wednesday.
Plus: Staying home for Halloween? Here's a Halloween candy cookie recipe you might want to try.
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Commentary
Credit: Getty Images/Sorbetto
Essential businesses, essential protections. Mike Durant, the president and chief executive of the New York State Food Industry Alliance, writes for Newsday Opinion: Earlier this year, New York was among the first states to shut down to help rein in the spread of COVID-19.
Even as countless businesses closed and employees began working from home, essential businesses stayed open to offer critical services in their communities.
These essential businesses went to extraordinary lengths to keep customers and employees safe. They embraced strict cleaning and sanitization protocols, enforced social distancing measures, limited the number of people in stores at a given time, followed mask-wearing recommendations and more, so New Yorkers could have access to the food, medicine and other products necessary during the statewide lockdown. At a moment of great need, these businesses and their employees stepped up to support their communities.
Now, however, these businesses are facing a new threat: lawsuits. As essential businesses continue operations, they risk being subject to liability lawsuits that hold them responsible for the spread of COVID-19, even if they responsibly followed guidance by state health officials. Needless to say, this is a difficult position for them to be in given their important role in our communities. Keep reading.
Erin Serpico is an assistant web producer who joined Newsday in November 2018. Originally from New Jersey, she now covers community events and produces local content for newsday.com while also helping run the homepage.
