One LI college's struggle with COVID-19

LIU Post in Brookville goes remote after rising cases

According to a letter issued by LIU President Kimberly R. Cline, the decision came after rising cases among students attributed to off-campus parties.

She said additional cases were reported in recent days by students who were in contact with those at the off-campus gatherings.

"While our numbers are well below the mandated thresholds for remote learning, we have chosen to act now," she wrote in the Wednesday night letter. "This gives us the best opportunity to reverse the trend and welcome you back in two weeks."

While other local universities have relied heavily on remote instruction, LIU — which according to its website instructs nearly 15,000 students with main campuses in Brooklyn and Brookville — opted to offer most classes in-person.

The Brookville location is the only LIU campus going to all remote instruction.

The number of new positives reported today: 88 in Nassau, 81 in Suffolk, 508 in New York City and 1,460 statewide.

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

LI home prices rise and set a record in Suffolk

Long Island home prices kept climbing last month, hitting a new high in Suffolk County as the suburban homebuying scramble extended into September.

Homes in Suffolk sold for a median price of $464,375 last month, up 13% compared with a year earlier, OneKey MLS reported Thursday. In Nassau County, the median sale price increased year-over-year by 9.3%, to $590,000, the service reported.

The sharp rise in prices and sales activity prompted some real estate experts to wonder whether the surge is sustainable, or whether an increase in interest rates or slow in demand from buyers leaving New York City could eventually bring the market back down to earth. Read more.

Cuomo: Feds, states need to 'think ahead' for a vaccine

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Thursday called for a meeting of state governors and President Donald Trump to plan for the next stage in the pandemic battle: distributing a vaccine.

Cuomo told reporters on a conference call that states need guidance and clarity from the White House on the availability and distribution of a potential vaccine.

"Dealing with COVID is not checkers, it’s chess, so let's think ahead," he said.

"I do believe there will be distrust about the vaccine, because there’s distrust in the administration … you then have to administer it, how do you that? … and how do you do that quickly? And how do you do that safely?" Cuomo said.

He said state governments alone are not capable of distributing and administering the vaccine, and will need to work with the federal government.

PSEG bill may include termination notice — but law prohibits shutting off service

New York State outlawed the practice of shutting off service for nonpayment during the pandemic, but don’t be surprised if your PSEG bill includes a termination notice if you don’t pay.

Steve Haber, of Franklin Square, received one on his most recent bill — an apparent mix-up he said resulted from PSEG neglecting to send him a quarterly bill earlier this year. The bill includes a note that says because of an allegedly unpaid balance, "your service is scheduled to be turned off if payment is not received by Oct. 19, 2020."

A PSEG spokeswoman said the note is only there for technical reasons, and users should instead refer to a message in smaller type that says, "Please note that due to COVID-19, shut-offs will not occur. This note is for information purposes only." Read more.

Celebrating holidays while staying safe in the pandemic

As the holidays approach this year, many have been thinking: What's going to be safe?

A panel of experts in the latest Newsday Live webinar said we might rethink usual traditions this year. Establish ground rules for get-togethers, set size limits on how many family members can attend, consider virtual get-togethers instead of in-person ones — or maybe even take the year off, they said.

Watch the webinar and read more about what they had to say.

As for Halloween this year — what does trick-or-treating look like, and what are the recommended practices? We've got a guide of what you need to know about celebrating Halloween safely, from handing out treats to alternate ways of celebrating.

More to know

Vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris will suspend in-person events until Monday after two people associated with the campaign tested positive for the virus, Joe Biden's presidential campaign said.

The Stony Brook men’s basketball team opened practice on Wednesday like no other first practice, with coaches wearing masks and players wearing them except when competing.

U.S. jobless claims rose last week by the most in two months — to 898,000 — a historically high number.

Dr. Anthony Fauci is criticizing a declaration by a group of scientists that supports the concept of "herd immunity," which the White House is using to bolster a push to reopen schools and businesses.

University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban and athletic director Greg Byrne have tested positive for COVID-19.

News for you

The virtual 'Oyster Week' starts tomorrow. There won't be an in-person Long Island Oyster Festival this year, so patrons instead can get a safe taste online during "Oyster Week." From Oct. 16 to 25, there will be streamed events, takeout options and an online auction. Get the details.

Fall deals for staycations on the East End. Leaving the state could require a travel quarantine — so you might not want to go far. Some Long Islanders have long turned to the East End this year for a fall getaway. Check out these East End hotels that are keeping guests safe and are only a drive away.

A socially distant graveyard tour? You can get in the Halloween spirit with a stroll on a local burial ground. The annual "Mattituck Presbyterian Church Historical Graveyard Tour" is coming on Oct. 24. But you'll have to wear a mask and keep a proper distance. Read more.

Plus: We've got an updated list of new positive cases reported at Long Island schools since the start of the school year. Check it out.

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

Commentary

A hardheaded case for more COVID-19 stimulus. Tyler Cowen, a Bloomberg Opinion columnist, writes: With on-again, off-again plans for a COVID relief bill currently in "off" mode, it's an opportune moment to step back and ask some basic questions about fiscal policy. Fiscal policy during a pandemic is fundamentally different from a typical financial crisis, and that should shape the federal government's response. Short-term aid would be better before rather than after the U.S. election, but it needs to be targeted in the right way.

The first classic argument for fiscal stimulus, dating from Keynes, is to increase aggregate demand. That argument doesn't quite apply right now. Movie theaters, airlines and restaurants do face big demand problems, but government spending can't fix that. What these businesses need is for their customers to feel safe against the risk of infection.

A second rationale for fiscal policy is to address problems of supply. The U.S. still has an uneven capacity for rapid COVID-19 testing, and more money for testing would help carry it through what is likely to be a difficult winter. Better testing also would help schools reopen, allowing more parents to get back to work and to higher levels of productivity.

In addition to immediate issues of humanitarian aid, and supporting essential services from state and local governments, the next question is what other problems possible legislation might beneficially address. Keep reading.

By Erin Serpico

erin.serpico@newsday.com

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.