The travel quarantine list grows

Travelers to NY from 8 more states must self-quarantine

People traveling from California, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada and Tennessee have been added to the must-quarantine list when they arrive here.

The eight states already on the list were: Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Texas and Utah.

Cuomo said he was making the move to protect New York’s progress in the fight against the coronavirus.

“The virus is raging all across the nation and that’s because we have a federal government that just missed this,” Cuomo told NY1. “They denied it from the first place, let’s be honest. They refused to solve it because they don't admit it. If you don't admit you have a problem, you're not going to come up with a solution."

Now, with the virus spiking around the country, “we’re afraid that they are going to fly in to New York and cause the same problem, and it’s only getting worse," he said

The number of new positives today, reported as of 3 p.m.: 27 in Nassau, 46 in Suffolk, 240 in New York City and 524 statewide.

The chart above shows the number of new cases confirmed in New York City and the state in recent days. Search a map and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.

Bill would allow businesses to require masks

A new bill would empower businesses to require customers to wear face masks to ward off the spread of the virus and to crack down on phony “face mask exempt cards” that are being sold online.

“Having a law on the books adds certainty and also sends a clear message that the entire state is behind the importance of mask-wearing and its central role in getting our economy back on track,” said State Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D-Long Beach).

The law would bolster an existing executive order by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and guidance from the federal Centers for Disease Control to use masks in groups or when social distancing is difficult to maintain.

“It is more important now than ever for people to wear masks,” said Assemb. Linda Rosenthal (D-Manhattan), a majority member of the Assembly Health Committee who is co-sponsoring the bill. “If it were a law, I think people might take it more seriously.”

New state malpractice law, born in crisis, draws pushback

On March 23, New York faced a crossroads during the height of the pandemic as hospitalizations increased by 2,635 in one day and projections showed the state would need 110,000 beds and additional nurses and physicians to staff them.

The state put out a call for 1.2 million additional health care workers to come to New York and for retired New Yorkers with lapsed health care licenses to return to work. Cuomo then issued an executive order that allowed these qualified but unlicensed workers to operate, including immunity from most malpractice lawsuits during the crisis for them and the hospitals for which they worked. It also gave the same immunity to all hospital workers.

A little over a week later, on April 3, the immunity clause was approved as part of the state budget, and extended the protection to nursing homes and their workers. The law replaced the executive order.

Now, some attorneys and legislators say the law raised the bar for malpractice claims too high, leaving patients and their relatives without recourse in the event of mistakes that result in harm or death.

This support group won't let COVID-19 tear it apart

The pandemic and resulting shutdown are impacting many families, including non-biological families born out of support groups.

The Council of Thought and Action (COTA), a Suffolk County police initiative funded by the county and run out of the Wyandanch Community Resource Center, is one of those groups. The organization consists largely — but not solely — of men and women who were once incarcerated.

The goal is to help members get their lives back on track and reduce recidivism.

Before COVID-19, the group met weekly at the center for sessions that could last hours. But when the center closed in mid-March, the group suddenly found itself isolated from the support network. After several weeks, the group started meeting on Zoom.

Carlos Jennings, 38, of Coram, a meeting facilitator, said when the Zoom meetings started, “it was like being welcomed back home.”

More to know

The Long Island Ducks won't play in 2020, abandoning plans to play a 70-game schedule with other independent baseball clubs, the team announced.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said coronavirus cases could grow to 100,000 a day in the U.S. if Americans don’t start following public health recommendations.

More than $100 billion in federal loan guarantees for small businesses and nonprofits may go unused because Tuesday is the last day that Paycheck Protection Program loan applications can be approved.

The 2020 MTV Video Music Awards will still take place Aug. 30 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, despite the pandemic.

The European Union announced it will reopen its borders to travelers from 14 countries, and possibly China soon, but most Americans have been refused entry for at least another two weeks.

News for you

Returning to the wineries. East End wineries are open again, but many hallmarks of the experience have evolved. If you're planning a visit, keep in mind what you can expect.

Tie-dye is making a comeback. Many have been turning to tie-dye at home to lighten the mood during the pandemic. Learn how you can DIY the trend in 10 easy steps.

What's happening with the film festival? This year marks the Stony Brook Film Festival's 25th anniversary, but it was postponed. Stay tuned as plans for this year’s edition will be revealed during a special free documentary screening for at-home audiences in late July.

Get a taste of Tennessee with live music. Bay Shore is launching “Nashville Thursdays” this week. Restaurants, bars and shops open from 7-10 p.m. offering live music on Main Street Thursday nights, much like they do on Broadway in Nashville.

Vacations during a pandemic. Join us Wednesday for Newsday's free virtual event to get answers about vacations and traveling during the pandemic. The discussion and Q&A will look at challenges businesses are facing, what they can do to attract tourists and how to stay safe. Save your spot.

Plus: Looking for a summertime dessert? Follow this recipe for a summer fruit crisp that you can pair with whatever fresh fruit looks best.

Get real-time updates about the virus' impact on the Island by visiting our live blog.

Commentary

Newsday's cartoonist Matt Davies' cartoons respond to news on Long Island and around the world. Take a look through more of his cartoons about the pandemic.