What's happening as LI begins Phase 2
Scenes of reopening around Long Island
The scene in Sayville as small businesses reopened on Main Street on Wednesday. Credit: James Carbone
It was hardly business as usual Wednesday for businesses allowed to reopen after the state lifted restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Masks, gloves and social distancing guidelines remain in effect. And crowding remains prohibited, with occupancy generally capped at 50%.
But for businesses allowed to resume in-person operations — outdoor dining, in-store retail, barbershops, hair salons, offices, vehicle sales, leases and rentals and real estate — this is the next stage in a resumption to normalcy.
Catch up on how Phase 2 is going so far across Long Island.
Cuomo: This will be 'the most informed reopening of any state'
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo pledged Wednesday to have the best reopening from the pandemic of any state in the country and said he will use a silver lining of the crisis to accelerate major public works projects such as the LaGuardia Airport overhaul.
This “will be the most informed reopening of any state in the country," Cuomo said.
In discussing the state's measured reopening by region, Cuomo again emphasized the ongoing testing program showing a low level of new infections across the state.
The numbers for Long Island showed 0.8% of people tested in Nassau and 0.9% of those tested in Suffolk on Tuesday were diagnosed as new cases of the virus — bringing Long Island below a single digit, to 0.9%, for new positives.
He said the "new focus" will be "watching the data, watching the numbers" to guide policy.
The number of new positives today, reported as of 3 p.m.: 35 in Nassau, 38 in Suffolk, 425 in New York City and 674 statewide.
The lines illustrate the cumulative number of confirmed coronavirus cases on Long Island.
The chart above shows the total coronavirus cases in Nassau and Suffolk counties in recent weeks. Search a map and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Testing on LI is up, positives are down
Louis Dionisio, left, and Justin Schwartz, partners of AFC Urgent Care, pose by their West Islip location on Tuesday. Credit: Randee Daddona
Diagnostic testing for coronavirus on Long Island has nearly doubled since mid-May, at the same time both infection rates and the numbers of deaths have dropped dramatically, state health records show.
Long Island surpassed 11,000 tests in one day on June 5 for the first time, with 11,038 tests. For the week ending June 7, an average of 9,536 tests were conducted each day, almost double the 4,844 daily average for the week ending May 17.
At that time, 7% of those tested were infected with the virus. For the week ending June 7, just 2% were infected.
Officials at hospitals and walk-in clinics say diagnostic results for the virus have increased because of greater availability of testing equipment, more confidence in them by the public and insistence by doctors for COVID-19 testing now as part of regularly scheduled surgery and other treatment.
"Much of the testing now is with patients who don't have symptoms," said Dr. Mark Jarrett, deputy chief medical officer and chief quality officer at Northwell Health.
CDC: Keep your fruits and vegetables away from bleach
Two women disinfect their groceries before loading them into their van in Wheaton, Md., on April 27. Credit: AP/Manuel Balce Ceneta
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning COVID-19-fearing people that they shouldn’t use disinfectants and bleach on food and their skin after a report found one-third of those surveyed were misusing the cleaning products.
Poison centers across the nation have seen an uptick in calls from people exposed to cleaners and disinfectants since the start of the pandemic, the agency said.
“People are very aware and I think overall trying to keep themselves safe,” said Dr. Robert Schwaner, a medical toxicologist at Stony Brook University Hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine.
“But you have some highly educated people who are misusing these products, and that’s not without consequences,” he said.
Asymptomatic spread is possible, experts say
People who carry the coronavirus but don't have symptoms likely are a key reason for its spread, despite widely publicized comments by a top World Health Organization official to the contrary, some experts say.
The official, Maria Van Kerkhove, technical lead for COVID-19 with WHO, said Monday that the spread of the virus by asymptomatic people is “very rare,” leading to an outcry by scientists who say evidence points to widespread transmission by those without symptoms.
On Tuesday, she backtracked, stating that she was referring only to “some two or three studies that have been published” and not the complete picture.
One reason asymptomatic people — those who never develop symptoms and those who eventually get sick but are contagious before they show symptoms — are key to the virus’ spread is that they tend to be far more mobile than people who are sick, who typically stay at home, said Dr. Bettina Fries, chief of the infectious disease division at Stony Brook Medicine.
More to know
King Kullen and Stop & Shop said their merger deal is off. Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
Stop & Shop will not be acquiring iconic Long Island supermarket chain King Kullen — and the retailers are citing changes in the marketplace from the pandemic as the reason.
Nassau County Executive Laura Curran sent Cuomo a letter on Tuesday asking that he officially allow outdoor youth sports to resume in the county’s parks.
Huntington Town officials are fast-tracking permit approvals for businesses seeking to recapture customers as the region heads into Phase 2 of reopening.
Nassau Regional Off Track Betting Corp. failed to make a $5 million payment to Nassau County in May as it struggled to cope with sharply reduced revenues during the shutdown, agency officials said.
Major League Soccer announced its season will resume July 8 with a tournament in Florida.
News for you
Your at-home workspace may be contributing to neck and back pains. Credit: Getty Images / Alexander Spatari
Uncomfortable at your at-home desk? Ergonomic experts and doctors say telecommuting workers have found themselves feeling new neck and back pains working from home offices. Get the tips you need for how to properly set up your home workspace.
Live music returns. Finding live music these days can be a rarity, but Spotlight in Huntington is plugging back in. The art bar is offering a new gourmet burger menu with craft cocktails and live music at a dozen outdoor tables daily.
Margaritaville goes to Nashville. Jimmy Buffett makes his Grand Ole Opry debut in a streaming concert on June 27, also featuring longtime collaborator Mac McAnally and country-music star Brad Paisley.
“Virtual Summer Party” with Eddie Money. The late singer who grew up in Plainedge opened the outdoor summer concert series at DTE Energy Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan, for 28 years. The venue will feature his 2018 performance online on Friday.
Father's Day is coming. Who says Dad can't have fun playing video games? Take a look at some of these gift suggestions for the game-loving dad.
Plus: Long Island is reopening, but what does that mean for health care? Join us for a free webinar tomorrow to learn more about health during the pandemic. Save your spot.
Get real-time updates about the virus' impact on the Island by visiting our live blog, and watch our latest daily wrap-up video, which featured how one business put safety measures in place for workers to safely return to the office.
Commentary
Sirius, a German shepherd/retriever mix, is 12 weeks old. Credit: Newsday / Randi F. Marshall
A way to light up our lives post-quarantine. A few weeks ago, we bought baby monitors and gates, along with new food, toys and a small bed, writes Randi Marshall in a Newsday Opinion column.
We joined many other New Yorkers who added a family member while the coronavirus pandemic forced us all to stay home.
Meet Sirius, a German shepherd/retriever mix, and our new puppy.
We named him, of course, after the dog star — one of the brightest stars in the sky. He has brightened our household at an awfully dark time.
