Are the new restrictions strict enough?
Medical experts: Restrictions should be more stringent
Because of an uptick in coronavirus positive cases, Cuomo on Wednesday ordered restaurants with liquor licenses and bars to close by 10 p.m. Credit: Howard Schnapp
After Cuomo ordered new restrictions on restaurants, bars, gyms and gatherings in private residences, experts say they're likely to have little effect.
The restrictions, which take effect this Friday at 10 p.m., require restaurants with liquor licenses, bars and gyms to close at 10 p.m. each night, and limit gatherings at private residences to 10 people.
Experts say the limit on gatherings doesn't apply to banquet halls and other businesses that host parties, even though "we’ve seen they can contribute to superspreading events," said Rachael Piltch-Loeb, an associate research scientist at the New York University School of Global Public Health in Manhattan and a preparedness fellow at Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
A better approach, she said, is to more strictly enforce existing regulations, which limit capacity of restaurants and bars to 25% in New York City and 50% elsewhere, she said.
Why is the state taking these actions now, how will the curfew and enforcement work and which other businesses will be affected by it? We answer these and other questions about the new rules.
The number of new positives reported today: 322 in Nassau, 321 in Suffolk, 1,662 in New York City and 4,797 statewide.
The chart below shows the number of new cases reported each day in New York City and in the state.
These bars show the number of new coronavirus cases confirmed each day.
Search a map of cases, and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
Positivity rate above 3% on LI for fourth day
The number of people testing positive for COVID-19 on Long Island topped 3% for the fourth day in a row, as officials warned New Yorkers to think twice before joining large gatherings for the holidays.
The statewide positive testing rate was 2.53% but in so-called micro-clusters around the state, where cases have spiked, the rate is 4.86%.
"COVID is raging nationally, setting record numbers of cases and hospitalizations with each passing day," Cuomo said in a statement. "While New York is doing better than just about any state in the United States, we are not immune from the national trend."
In New York City, public schools would close indefinitely if the citywide infection rate, averaged over seven days, hits 3% or higher, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Thursday, under a standard set in September when schools first reopened.
Doctors' advice: Stay home for Thanksgiving and video conference
Dr. Bruce Hirsch’s Thanksgiving tradition? Gathering with his large family, including his nephew, a gourmet cook. This year? A turkey sandwich might be in order.
The infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health said he will celebrate on Nov. 26 at home with family via video calls because the risk of spreading COVID-19 is too great.
He and other medical experts recommend others do the same. Health experts predict large indoor celebrations such as on Thanksgiving will lead to another outbreak, although they also said Long Island wouldn't return to March and April levels, when hospitals were packed with patients and more than 100 people died daily in Nassau and Suffolk.
"It's the year of COVID. If we do gather as large families, and someone gets sick, and God forbid dies, it's a terrible stain on the holidays," Hirsch said.
Singing and playing instruments while still wearing a mask
Justin DeRosalia, 12, of Selden, plays the alto saxophone while wearing a mask made by Debbie Parker, of Coram. She specializes in making masks for performers. Credit: Alicia DeRosalia
Debbie Parker, of Coram, wanted to find a way for musicians to continue to sing and play instruments without having to remove their masks.
So Parker started making what she calls "melodie masks." They’re designed with singers in mind, with plastic built into two layers of cotton fabric so the mask arches out and away from the mouth and wraps around the jaw.
And they're not just for singers — they also benefit teachers, who are on their feet and speaking to students for hours a day. The masks also have adjustable ear loops and bendable nose ridges.
"I’ve always advocated for music and the arts in this district for years," Parker said. "This was my way of saying we can still have music and have it be a little bit safer."
More to know
There were 709,000 people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits last week, which was down from 757,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said.
The Paul D. Schreiber High School softball team's tournament in Florida was canceled in April, but Port Washington parents say they're still waiting for more than $25,000 in refunds.
President Donald Trump's adviser Corey Lewandowski has tested positive for the virus.
Actor Hugh Grant, whose current HBO miniseries "The Undoing" shot throughout the North Fork last year, has recovered from COVID-19.
News for you
Cassidy Litvack, of Manhasset, Meg Gitlin, of Roslyn, Lisa Hayim, of Port Washington and Jaclyn York, of Muttontown, dine outdoors at Trattoria Diane in Roslyn on Nov. 6. Credit: Bruce Gilbert
Your winter dining questions. To help you navigate what's safe and what's not, take a look at these answers to frequently asked dining questions, from rules and regulations to risk assessment. And what to wear? Dressing up for outdoor dining in the cold takes some planning (even if there are heat lamps). We've got some wardrobe tips for adding layers and warm accessories.
Apps for a virtual Thanksgiving. Gatherings this year will likely be with a smaller group than you're used to. But thanks to technology, you can still gather large online. These apps like Houseparty, My Recipe Box and more can make your virtual Thanksgiving more fun.
Tax opportunities for small businesses. Many businesses are ready to say goodbye to 2020 — but before the year closes, there are some tax opportunities that are set to expire, as well as incentives as part of COVID-19 relief legislation.
Plus: During a recent Newsday Live webinar, Long Island infectious disease experts said it’s unknown when an actual vaccine could be out, but participants in trials could gain an advantage before one is widely available. Re-watch the webinar for more.
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Commentary
Storing and distributing a vaccine, especially one that must be frozen until use, poses a significant challenge. Credit: TNS/Dreamstime
The secret weapon for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine. Joanna Radin, an assistant professor of history of science and medicine at Yale, writes for The Washington Post: On Monday, the pharmaceutical company Pfizer announced that early data showed a vaccine they have been developing in partnership with the German drug manufacturer BioNTech was more than 90% effective in preventing COVID-19. This level of efficacy amazed researchers, including those at my own institution, Yale School of Medicine, who agreed that if the data holds (it has not yet been peer reviewed), then this vaccine would be poised to dramatically curtail the impact of the virus.
This news made headlines, along with Joe Biden's and Kamala D. Harris's rollout of a COVID-19 task force composed of biomedical experts, suggesting that even as the number of daily new infections reached an all-time high in the U.S., a cure was in sight. But, storing and distributing a vaccine — especially the potential Pfizer vaccine, which must be frozen until use at -70°C, around the temperature of dry ice — poses a significant challenge.
Rural cattle breeders offer a solution. In the 1950s, during the Cold War, they played a major role in developing and scaling up the technology to circulate biological materials globally at temperatures as low as -196°C, that of liquid nitrogen. In what is known as the "cold chain," these supply networks made it possible to ship temperature-sensitive agricultural and medical products within and beyond the United States.
In other words, practices honed in the American heartland helped make cold-dependent therapeutics feasible — from organ transplantation to blood banking, artificial insemination to vaccine development and distribution. 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.
