'The second wave is coming'

Cuomo: State needs to prepare for flu and second wave

Cuomo said the state will be challenged by seasonal flu and the reopening of schools this fall. He reminded New Yorkers that failing to wear face coverings or following social distance rules could cause new spread of the disease.

"The reason we are doing well is because we are being smart. If people's behavior doesn’t remain disciplined, we are going to have a problem," Cuomo said during a news teleconference.

Cuomo added that New York's school leaders need to answer questions on how physical distancing would be enforced and what kind of testing and tracing operations would be in place amid reduced testing capacity due to the flu season.

The state Health Department is sending out letters to county health departments asking about plans to perform flu and COVID-19 tests at the same time, Cuomo said.

"In September, the flu season starts. It’s going to make it much harder to diagnose symptomatic people … It’s going to really stress our testing capacity. That all happens in a matter of weeks … The second wave is coming. It’s going to be more challenging," Cuomo said.

The number of new positives reported today: 62 in Nassau, 70 in Suffolk, 273 in New York City and 631 statewide.

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

State trimming some aid payments by 20%

Citing the pandemic and cash flow problems, the Cuomo administration has been trimming payments it normally sends to colleges, school districts and health care and transportation agencies by some 20% since June.

The reductions totaled $1.7 billion heading into August, including $430 million to colleges and universities and $324 million to school districts.

The State Legislature gave Cuomo authority to withhold payments back in April when it enacted the state budget just after the lockdowns began across the nation.

The Cuomo administration says the 20% withholding is a “temporary” solution to managing cash flow until Congress and President Trump come through with more aid for states.

Doctors weigh in: Will it be safe to go to the gym?

Gyms pose a high risk of coronavirus transmission with intense breathing during exercise, but experts say masks, social distancing and other requirements the state is imposing will make gyms safer.

As long as they follow strict guidelines, gyms and fitness centers can reopen as early as Monday. Nassau and Suffolk counties plan to allow gyms to reopen Monday, their county executives said.

Reopening of gyms with restrictions is “sensible,” said Dr. David Hirschwerk, an infectious disease specialist at New Hyde Park-based Northwell Health.

“But that doesn’t mean it’s fully safe,” he warned. “I don’t think there can be a guarantee there won’t be exposures and outbreaks that occur in gyms, even with these strategies.”

Read more about what the doctors said. And before heading to the gym, take a look through some things you can expect. 

Top LI health officials will offer advice to schools

Long Island's top health officials will send guidance to schools on COVID-19, offering advice on topics ranging from what to do with a child who has a fever in school to general thoughts on whether schools can reopen safely, officials said Tuesday.

Nassau County Health Commissioner Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein discussed the guidance, a collaborative effort with Suffolk Health Commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott, during a Newsday Live webinar Tuesday on the reopening of schools.

Eisenstein said the list will be presented in the form of frequently asked questions — about 10 of them over five pages — that largely reflect the state guidance.

"In general, disease transmission in the community remains relatively low right now," he said. "If people and faculty and everybody plays their part — wearing masks, staying home when they're sick, not sharing food or drinks, distancing — I think we can safely open schools."

As first day nears, Great Neck district details reopening plans

Great Neck school officials are scrambling to provide greater details to anxious teachers and parents about the district's reopening plans, in advance of an online board meeting scheduled for Wednesday night.

In recent weeks, officials have found themselves peppered with questions from staffers and parents demanding to know what protections will be provided when classes restart. Meanwhile, one group of parents has pushed for in-person learning five days a week.

Great Neck announced a Sept. 3 reopening for students, which would be among the earliest on Long Island.

On Monday, the district issued a six-page letter expanding on plans already announced. The letter offers three types of instruction: in-school-only learning at the elementary levels, remote-only learning at those levels, and a hybrid model in secondary schools with alternating days of in-school and remote learning.

Find the reopening plans for school districts across Long Island here.

More to know

Two Long Island hotels are the official COVID-19 bubble residences for players, their small entourages and officials during this year’s U.S. Open tennis tournament.

Frustrated Long Islanders entering their third week without internet service are struggling to work from home and stay connected with friends and family.

About a third of service firms and factories will run out of money in less than a year if their sales don’t increase and additional relief doesn’t come from government, according to polls released Tuesday.

Wall Street clawed back the last of the historic losses unleashed by the pandemic, as the S&P 500 closed at an all-time high Tuesday.

News for you

Your guide to day-tripping in Montauk. On the most eastern end of Long Island lies Montauk, one of the area's top vacation spots and easy to reach for Long Islanders. Here's your guide on what to explore during a socially distant day trip there.

Learning in the living room. How can you balance life and learning with at-home instruction? Join us for Newsday's next free virtual event on Thursday that will focus on keeping children engaged with classes at home. Save your spot.

Where the animals are. From goats, birds and sharks, there's an array of animals that can be spotted on Long Island. Here's a list of zoos, preserves and aquariums where you can take the family for a peek at nature.

Don't want to leave your dogs at home? Bring them with you when you get out of the house if you're venturing to one of these outdoor spaces on Long Island.

Plus: Get some live music Wednesday night by watching a virtual performance and Q&A with drummer Liberty DeVitto, presented by Newsday Live Music Series and Faith Entertainment. Register here.

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Commentary

Give the COVID vaccine to healthy young people first. Faye Flam, of Bloomberg Opinion, asks: Who should be at the front of the line if an effective COVID-19 vaccine emerges from testing?

The answer depends on what we learn from the kind of field trials Russia is skipping.

Some vaccines might not be that good at preventing infection, but would prevent severe cases. Those should be given to those most likely to die from the disease — older people or those with conditions associated with death from COVID-19.

But if a vaccine actually prevents transmission, then priority should go to those who transmit the disease most often: younger adults. Getting protected with a vaccine is a way of protecting others, since you can't give anyone the disease if you never get it. And starting with younger people could be the fastest route to herd immunity — that phenomenon by which the virus is slowed by a lack of susceptible hosts.