New restrictions for NY's 'hot spots'
Cuomo: NY restricting worship, business, schools in some areas
People walk past a sign for a COVID-19 testing site in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn on Tuesday. Credit: Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
The new measures will restrict activities in some areas — depending on the level of spread — at houses of worship and public gatherings, and will close schools and reduce business activity.
The state is using case data and mapping software to delineate red, orange and yellow zones for spread in "geographically circumscribed" areas.
"A mass gathering causes infections, infections cause a cluster, a cluster causes community spread. That is the natural evolution of things, unless we intervene and we stop the cycle," Cuomo said.
Initially, the areas identified by the governor are in Brooklyn and Queens, in the upstate City of Binghamton and Orange and Rockland counties.
Though Cuomo mentioned a concert in the Hamptons that attracted a crowd, he did not zero in on any Long Island areas for such restrictions. Read more.
The number of new positives reported today: 90 in Nassau, 89 in Suffolk, 567 in New York City and 1,393 statewide.
The chart below shows the number of people hospitalized for the coronavirus each day in the state over the past two weeks. Search a map of new cases, and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, new cases, deaths and more.
These bars track how many patients are hospitalized for the coronavirus each day.
Trump, back at the White House, halts COVID-19 relief talks
President Donald Trump stands on the balcony outside of the Blue Room as he returns to the White House on Monday in Washington. Credit: AP/Alex Brandon
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he has instructed aides to stop negotiating on another round of COVID-19 relief until after the election.
Trump tweeted that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was "not negotiating in good faith" and said he's asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to "focus full time" before the election on confirming his U.S. Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett. Stocks dropped suddenly on Wall Street after Trump ordered a stop to negotiations.
Earlier Tuesday, Trump returned to playing down the disease that hospitalized him for three days and killed more than 210,000 Americans. He tweeted that he's planning to attend next week’s debate with Democrat Joe Biden in Miami. "It will be great!" he said.
Trump's doctor, Navy Cmdr. Sean Conley, said in a letter that Trump had a "restful" night at the White House and that on Tuesday "he reports no symptoms."
Meanwhile, the Pentagon said Tuesday that top military leaders are under self-quarantine after a senior Coast Guard official tested positive.
Lawsuit that sought to overturn HS sports postponement dismissed
On Monday, a Nassau County Supreme Court judge dismissed a lawsuit that sought to overturn the decision not to play high school sports in the fall. The lawsuit was brought by Massapequa’s school district against Section VIII, the governing body for high school sports in Nassau County.
Justice Jack L. Libert ruled that Section VIII "acted within the lawful scope of its authority" deciding not to play high school sports until 2021 because of the pandemic. Its plan is to play compressed versions of three sports seasons between January and June.
"We looked out for the health of our kids," Section VIII executive director Pat Pizzarelli said. "We all want our kids out there competing, but it has to be done safely."
How restaurants are doing outdoor dining this fall
Staci Beauchamp from Douglaston and Karen Zimmerman from Huntington enjoy outdoor dining in a bubble at Konoba in Huntington. Credit: Yvonne Albinowski
It's been getting cooler outside, but that doesn’t have to mean the end of outdoor dining on Long Island. People looking for open-air dining — especially during the pandemic — can stretch out the season this year by having a meal in some unique and fun settings at local restaurants.
From fire pits and outdoor heaters to private dining "igloos" or bubbles, restaurants have been getting creative with outdoor space. Take a look at some memorable ways you can dine outside.
And, wondering what the winter will look like? Save your spot for Newsday's next virtual event on Wednesday that will cover how to eat, drink and be social as the colder weather moves in — and how to stay safe.
More to know
SUNY Cortland recorded nearly 90 positive COVID-19 cases in one week, officials said. Credit: LightRocket via Getty Images / John Greim
SUNY Cortland will shift to remote learning for at least two weeks after recording nearly 90 positive cases in one week, officials said.
A Long Island food pantry opened a new satellite location in Bethpage on Monday in response to increased demand, Long Island Cares Inc. announced.
The NYPD held a ceremony at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in Manhattan on Monday to publicly remember 46 department members who died during the pandemic.
Rep. Thomas Suozzi called on the U.S. Senate to pass a recovery bill to help save restaurants and live entertainment venues devastated by the pandemic's economic impact.
Nassau County moved closer on Monday to formally asking to refinance $473 million in county debt as officials work to avoid a budget crisis stemming from the pandemic.
News for you
Ebony Guerrier works with her children Madison, 6, Ryana,12, and Destin, 4, at her home in Uniondale. Credit: Kendall Rodriguez
Helping them get through hybrid learning. School this fall has looked different — and balancing remote learning with differing schedules can make it hard for some families to cope. We've got 10 tips from Long Island families on how to tackle hybrid schooling. (See tip No. 6: Keep them busy when you're busy.) Check them out.
Popular apple festival returns — as a drive-through. The Mill Neck Family isn't letting the pandemic stop its 69th annual Apple Festival this year. It's getting restructured into a drive-through where visitors will stay in their cars on Oct. 10 and 11. Get the details.
Fall ideas for your backyard. Some fall traditions have been abandoned or changed this year because of the crowds — so how about enjoying the fall at home? Features like hot tubs, outdoor saunas, outdoor video and sound systems and fire pits are in demand. Read more.
Long Island Medium to appear virtually. Theresa Caputo's fourth book will be published on Tuesday, and LI LitFest and Huntington's Book Revue will present a virtual talk Tuesday night. She's also launching a podcast later this month.
Plus: Save your spot for Thursday's Newsday Live Music Series featuring Blue Öyster Cult. Join us for a virtual performance and Q&A with the Long Island-based band.
Sign up for text messages to get the most important coronavirus news and information.
Commentary
Credit: Getty Images/mathisworks
Fighting the pandemic requires better policies. Tyler Cowen, of Bloomberg Opinion, writes: It's become increasingly clear that President Donald Trump and much of the Republican leadership have behaved irresponsibly in failing to take basic precautions against COVID-19.
Less commonly understood is how even a "thinking man's approach" can lead to a kind of recklessness. Therein lies a lesson: Fighting this pandemic requires better policies, as education alone is unlikely to work.
The sad truth is that even if each individual's choice is rational, it can lead the collective to some undesirable places.
Consider a person such as myself. I have no reason to believe I've been infected, and have had two negative test results following some travel. I am also aware that many COVID-19 cases are asymptomatic, meaning I might have caught COVID-19 and not known. Since I've had some lengthy trips (with distancing), and my household is small to begin with, I could have been carrying the virus without infecting others close to me.
The more time passes, the more I wonder if I have, in fact, contracted an asymptomatic version of COVID. The chance of that was quite small in February, but as each month passes it becomes modestly more likely. That realization could easily nudge many people into taking just a bit more risk. 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.
