No mask? Businesses can deny you entry
State focusing on reopening NYC
Jeff Berg, owner of Record Stop, stands outside his store in Patchogue on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Steve Pfost
The governor’s executive order giving businesses the right to deny entry to patrons not wearing masks comes as he tries to crack down on people failing to obey coronavirus mitigation guidelines.
Meanwhile, Cuomo said the state's focus will shift to help New York City prepare for a reopening under health and preparedness metrics observed by other regions, with stepped up efforts to test more city residents, build up contact tracing and promote the use of face coverings.
The city, he said, will have to meet the state metrics like Long Island and other parts of the state did before entering the first phase of reopening.
The last metrics update published by the state for the different regions' standing on Tuesday showed New York City falling short on two of seven benchmarks.
“The state has a set of rules and metrics to reopen that apply to New York City just like they apply to every other region," Cuomo said. “In this state there are no different standards of safety … if it’s safe for your family, it’s safe for my family … that’s my personal gauge.”
Overall, the state saw improvements again in declining hospitalizations and intubations due to the virus, with 74 residents dying on Wednesday in hospitals and nursing homes, though that number continued to represent a significant decline in the death toll.
This chart shows the cumulative number of people who have suffered coronavirus-related deaths and where they had lived.
The chart above shows the total number of coronavirus-related deaths in Nassau and Suffolk in recent days. Search a map and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.
The numbers as of 3 p.m.: 40,140 confirmed cases in Nassau, 39,359 in Suffolk, 201,051 in New York City and 366,733 statewide.
Hospital officials not seeing repeat COVID-19 patients
Dr. Anthony Boutin, chief medical officer and interim president of Nassau University Medical Center, said the hospital has not seen patients return with new COVID-19 infections. Credit: Howard Schnapp
Long Island hospital officials say they are not seeing people coming in with new, repeat cases of COVID-19, lending weight to the theory that once a person gets over the virus, they have some level of immunity, officials said.
Hospital officials are taking this as a positive note as they continue to fight the virus that has infected about 80,000 Long Islanders and killed about 4,000. They say it's encouraging as Long Island reopens parts of its economy.
“We’re not seeing them coming back for a new COVID-infection,” said Dr. Anthony Boutin, chief medical officer and interim president of Nassau University Medical Center. “If it were otherwise, everybody would be talking about it.”
While these observations may add some evidence that the virus bestows some level of immunity, they by no means resolve the important questions regarding the level of immunity and how long it might last, officials said.
'It's hard to tell what is allowed and not allowed right now'
Michael Timko, owner of Fun Stuff Toys in Seaford, is pictured on Wednesday. Credit: Chris Ware
For many Long Island clothing boutiques, toy stores and home goods retailers, Phase One of reopening doesn't look that different from the shutdown.
Phase One includes allowing such retailers — deemed nonessential and ordered to close their stores in mid-March — to offer curbside pickup and in-store pickup. But many have been offering curbside pickup for weeks.
Doing so was allowed under Cuomo's stay-at-home order — as long as there was only one employee in the store fulfilling orders and the orders were made by phone or online, according to Empire State Development, the state agency determining which businesses are essential and which ones are not.
Nonessential retailers are now permitted to have multiple employees in the store to fulfill orders for curbside pickup, an ESD official said Wednesday.
For Danielle De Melfi, 38, who along with husband Dan, 36, opened rustic home décor shop Simple Little Detail in Brookhaven a few months before the shutdown, the biggest change in Phase One will be reopening for in-store pickup this weekend.
"You can come in, only a couple people at a time for pickup, and that's it," she said. "It's hard to tell what is allowed and not allowed right now."
49 days later, baby born to mom with COVID-19 leaves hospital
Adriana Torres with her baby daughter Leah, who was released from NYU Winthrop Hospital on Wednesday. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
Leah Robledo weighed less than 3 pounds at birth on April 8 following an emergency C-section on her mother, who was in a medically induced coma caused by COVID-19.
Forty-nine days after her daughter was born seven weeks prematurely, Adriana Torres held her now much heftier newborn — weighing 5.06 pounds — Wednesday as Leah was discharged from NYU Winthrop Hospital.
The two were finally able to go home to Hempstead — as a family.
“I’m so happy. What we went through, it makes you change your perspective on life,” Torres, 41, said in Spanish. “It’s a miracle we’re both alive. I finally have her 100 percent of the time. We can begin bonding as mother and daughter. I’m looking forward to living a normal life, one without hospitals. … We are going to enjoy every moment, every second.”
The mother and daughter are now seen as symbols of perseverance in the face of the pandemic.
More to know
Ari Friend, 9, helps his father, David, carry a kayak from the dock at Norman J. Levy Preserve in Merrick. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Long Islanders looking to escape their homes can now return to the Norman J. Levy Preserve in Merrick, which reopened last week to hikers and runners.
The unemployment rate on Long Island soared to 16% last month, more than quadruple the 3.8% rate reported in March before the economic effects of the coronavirus hit the region, Labor Department data shows.
Suffolk County property owners will have an additional three weeks to pay their taxes under a new executive order by Gov. Cuomo granting tax extensions to dozens of municipalities on Long Island and statewide.
The union representing thousands of front-line hospital workers at the financially struggling Nassau University Medical Center is at odds with hospital leadership over when and how to distribute hazard pay to employees, after up to $6 million was approved for the expense.
Construction has resumed on the Islanders' new arena at Belmont Park after a two-month halt because of the pandemic.
New York State is suing a Bellport wholesaler and its CEO, accusing them of price gouging consumers on disinfectants used liberally during the pandemic, state Attorney General Letitia James said.
Some Americans who haven’t received their stimulus payments yet may receive them in the form of a debit card, but New Yorkers who have already received the card are raising concerns that the envelope could easily pass for junk mail.
News for you
Blu Rayne Bridal Boutique in Commack has begun offering virtual wedding dress shopping. Credit: Blu Rayne Bridal Boutique
Virtually say 'yes' to the dress. Brides can now try on dresses in their own homes, thanks to Blu Rayne Bridal Boutique in Commack. It offers virtual shopping via Zoom and other virtual platforms to show brides the latest selections, and offers some to try on via curbside pickup.
Home is where the art is. Dozens of Long Island students were challenged to recreate acclaimed classic and contemporary paintings using materials (and people) available around their home. Take a look at some of the results.
Bored and hungry? Try a board game pizza. Ordering from Main Street Pizza Company in Farmingdale now comes with the “Bored Game” pizza box. It transforms your pizza box into a board game that's a take on Monopoly.
Bring a touch of Long Island to your Zoom session. We've compiled a list of free background images of Long Island for you to choose for your next video conference meeting, online class or virtual happy hour.
Another pop-up drive-in. This time, at the Smith Haven Mall in Lake Grove. The pop-up will feature a 52-foot screen with sound transmitted to car radios. Drive-in movie pop-ups are springing up around Long Island. Make a plan with the full schedule.
Make it easier with these apps. As some Long Island offices and businesses tentatively reopen, many will continue to let employees work from home. These apps can keep you working efficiently in this transition period.
Plus: Catch up on today's webinar that featured how businesses can prepare as the economy reopens. And join us tomorrow for our next free webinar to gain more insight on health during the pandemic. Reserve your spot.
Stay updated on the virus' impact in the region by visiting our live blog and watch our latest daily wrap-up video, which recapped the first day of reopening on Long Island.
Commentary
Credit: Matt Davies
Newsday's cartoonist Matt Davies' cartoons respond to news on Long Island and around the world with a blend of humor and opinion. Take a look through more of his cartoons about the pandemic.
