Long lines for COVID-19 tests ahead of Thanksgiving
Lines form for tests, but doctors say negatives don't clear you
People line up to get tested for COVID-19 at CityMD in Lake Grove on Friday. Credit: Morgan Campbell
People seeking rapid COVID-19 tests before Thanksgiving have been leading to long lines and waits in the cold across Long Island. And health experts say they're worried negative results may give people a false sense of security.
"It would be a terrible mistake if people said, 'I got a negative test, so I’m free to do what I want,'" said Dr. Aaron Glatt, chair of medicine and chief of infectious diseases at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital. Glatt said people could still be incubating the virus and be contagious after the test.
The demand for tests comes just before the holiday and during a time when the rising number of new cases has resulted in parts of Long Island being designated microclusters by the state.
Dr. Bonnie Simmons, chair of urgent care at ProHEALTH, said the lines of walk-in patients are "constant," even though people also can make appointments online. Simmons said medical personnel at ProHEALTH are careful to make sure patients who receive a negative result understand they aren't completely in the clear.
Meanwhile, Long Island surpassed 1,000 new cases, reporting a level of new daily cases not seen since April, officials said Wednesday.
The number of new positives reported today: 496 in Nassau, 543 in Suffolk, 1,916 in New York City and 6,265 statewide.
The chart below shows how many new cases were 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 new cases and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
How Thanksgiving traditions are evolving this year
Volunteer Jason Contuniello assisting with the turkey drive at Oceanside High School on Saturday. Credit: Newsday/J. Conrad Williams Jr.
The pandemic has made longtime Thanksgiving events on Long Island look somewhat different this year.
Organizers of decades-old traditions from football games with old friends, turkey trots with neighbors and serving meals to those in need say they’re adjusting them for safety and making the best of it.
It's a challenge for nonprofits serving families who have suffered financial hardships during the pandemic, given large crowds gathering inside isn't safe these days. So instead, they're making and packaging to-go meals.
As for turkey trots and fundraisers, some are going virtual. A handful of races will continue in-person, but with masks and other social distancing guidelines.
And the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade? That's going to be different, too. Macy’s says it's gone all out to rethink what it will look like on TV. You can expect floats and giant balloons, but no handlers, there will be musical performances and a special appearance from Santa, too. Get all the details ahead of the 9 a.m. broadcast.
NYC to issue school reopening plan next week, mayor says
People walk past William T. Sherman School PS 87 on Nov. 18, after Mayor Bill de Blasio announced last week's closure of New York City public schools to in-person learning. Credit: Sipa USA via AP/Anthony Behar/Sipa USA
A reopening plan for the New York City public school system will be released next week, to be implemented in the weeks ahead, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Wednesday.
Eight days after announcing all in-person schooling would indefinitely shut down starting Nov. 19, de Blasio said city and state governments were discussing reopening school buildings where students and personnel had lower infection rates. That is even if the citywide rate remains above the 3% threshold, averaged over seven days, that led to the mandatory closure of the schools under a deal made in September with the teachers union.
As of Monday, the citywide infection rate was 3.05% averaged over seven days, de Blasio said.
De Blasio did not give specifics of the reopening plan, but said the city would increase how often a subset of students were subject to mandatory testing from the current once a month. A vaccine could mean a return to five days of schooling, he said.
Long Island families pen essays on life during pandemic
Jessica Arizaga wrote about her family's struggles during the pandemic, including schooling for daughter Amanda Vasquez. Credit: Debbie Egan-Chin
Over the past few months, the Port Washington Public Library has collected more than a dozen essays from its English For Speakers of Other Languages students — many of whom are new immigrants — to document their experience through the pandemic.
Take Jessica Arizaga, an Ecuadorian emigrant, for example. Just seven months before the March shutdown, Arizaga came to the United States with her daughter to join her husband in Port Washington. She got a job at a pet store, her daughter enrolled in school and the family united.
But in March, she lost her job, school closed, and her husband’s work hours got reduced.
"The changes in my life were extreme and out of control," the 30-year-old mother wrote in October in an essay.
More to know
The Hofstra and Stony Brook men's basketball teams' season openers, scheduled for Wednesday, have been canceled because of positive tests, officials said.
The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week from 748,000 to 778,000, according to the Labor Department's report this week.
Long Island’s unemployment rate ticked up to 6.5% last month, 0.2 percentage points up from the region’s 6.3% jobless rate in September, state data shows.
President-elect Joe Biden spoke Wednesday in a Thanksgiving-eve address to the nation, asking Americans to "steel our spines" for a fight against the virus he predicted would continue for months.
News for you
Davina O'Garro, of Queens, with her son, Nasir McPhail, 1, talks to Newsday about what they're thankful for at Valley Stream State Park on Saturday. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Sharing gratitude during a pandemic. It’s been quite a year, but Long Islanders have a multitude of reasons to be thankful this Thanksgiving — from recovery, to front line workers and having time with loved ones. Watch a video and see what they said. And don't forget about Newsday's Gratitude Game, a virtual game filled with prompts and conversation starters for you to play with friends or family this year.
How holiday fun looks different. Long Island is maintaining some of its traditions this year, but is tweaking many because of the pandemic. Check out our guide of what’s going on this season — from socially distant Santa visits to how you can get holiday delight delivered to your home.
'Paint and sip' parties pivot to online crafts. Commack resident Betty Cole's art business used to revolve around parties, but she quickly shifted during the pandemic to making "Paint your own" arts and crafts kits for people to enjoy at home. They range from $5 to $25 and include supplies and a video tutorial. She's also hosting some events via Zoom. Read more about her business in this conversation she had with Newsday.
Free online job skill training. New Yorkers can now get a chance to boost their job skills with access to nearly 4,000 online courses and certificate programs through Coursera. The courses focus on industry sectors such as advanced manufacturing, health care and technology. Learn how you can request a free account.
Stream a Taylor Swift concert. A concert film featuring Taylor Swift performing songs from her new album is coming to Disney Plus.
Plus: Still thinking about your menu for a Thanksgiving meal at home? You might consider these recipe ideas for side dishes, from seasoned vegetables to creamy potatoes.
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Commentary
Credit: Newsday/Matt Davies
Matt Davies, Newsday’s Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonist, responds to news on Long Island and around the world with political cartoons.
Take a look through more of his cartoons.
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.
