Uptick in cases in Putnam and Dutchess counties
■ State health officials said that, as of Sunday (Nov. 29), 2,844 (+55 from the day before) people had tested positive for COVID-19 in Putnam County; 7,284 (+87) in Dutchess; 50,693 (+583) in Westchester; 21,632 (+130) in Rockland; 3,381 (+56) in Ulster; and 16,891 (+90) in Orange. Statewide, there have been 647,980 (+6,819) positives, including 311,979 (+2,504) in New York City.
■ Statewide, 26,747 (+54) people had died as of Nov. 29, including 64 (0) residents of Putnam County and 191 (+1) from Dutchess.
■ Beacon had 33 active cases as of Nov. 28 and Putnam had 160 for the two weeks ending Nov. 19, with 21 new cases reported in Philipstown, which has had 169 since March. There were 140 new cases in Carmel, 44 in Kent, 54 in Patterson, 40 in Putnam Valley and 99 in Southeast. Four people were hospitalized at Putnam Hospital in Carmel.
■ In Dutchess County, there were 2,563 tests conducted on Nov. 29 and 87 positives reported, and in Putnam, there were 819 tests and 55 positives reported. The percentage of positive results in the Mid-Hudson Region was 4.55 percent.
■ Statewide, there were 148,974 tests conducted on Nov. 29 and 6,819 positives, or 4.57 percent.
■ Dutchess had conducted 287,061 tests as of Nov. 29 and had 2.5 percent positives, while Putnam had conducted 82,446 tests and had 3.4 percent positives.
■ The number of people with COVID-19 who are hospitalized in New York state as of Nov. 29 stood at 3,532 (+160); the number in intensive care was 681 (+14); and the number of intubations was 325 (-1).
■ On Oct. 21, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a microcluster strategy to limit the spread of COVID, based on county population. Dutchess falls into Tier 2, where restrictions could be triggered if the 7-day rolling average positive rate exceeds 3 percent for 10 days and the county has 12 or more new cases per 100,000 residents on a 7-day average. Putnam falls into Tier 3, where restrictions could be triggered if the 7-day rolling average positive rate exceeds 3.5 percent for 10 days and the county has 15 or more new cases per 100,000 residents on a 7-day average. Here are the current restricted areas.
■ As of Nov. 29, the 7-day rolling average positivity rate in Dutchess was 3.5 percent and the average in Putnam was 6.5 percent.
■ On Nov. 13, Putnam County issued a statement: “The state dashboards indicate that Putnam County cases remain at a level that if sustained for an additional week, could initiate county designation as a yellow zone. We have met these metrics for 4 days (including today) and according to the most recent guidance, if sustained for 10 days, we would be designated a yellow zone. This guidance is subject to change. The Putnam County Department of Health has requested from New York State test positivity rate breakdowns by ZIP code to further inform both mitigation and preparedness efforts. In the interim, we must prepare for the potential that the entire county could face this designation, rather than just a ZIP code or a town.”
■ On Tuesday (Nov. 24), Putnam County said it is trying to get more guidance from the state about whether the county will be designated as yellow or orange or if it will apply only to specific areas or ZIP codes. The county also noted that while it has qualified for restrictions using two measures — the positivity rate on a seven-day rolling average and the number of cases per 100,000 residents — the state also considers other metrics such as hospital admissions; population density; the age of those testing positive; the effectiveness of contact tracing; whether outbreaks involve facilities such as nursing homes, colleges or prisons. “The governor’s mention [on Nov. 23] of Brewster ‘nearing yellow-zone designation’ confirms that our request to view Putnam County on a hyper-local level is a necessity,” said Putnam County Executive MaryEllen Odell in a statement. Dr. Michael Nesheiwat, the county health commissioner, said Putnam “has seen a sharp rise in positive cases related to social gatherings and parties. The spike that is occurring locally is a result of our actions. Whether you are in closer proximity to Brewster, or you are further west, nearer to Peekskill, it is clear that our numbers are rising, and we all must make responsible choices to keep our families and our neighbors safe.”
■ Despite a COVID-19 upswing, Philipstown Supervisor Richard Shea said at the Nov. 18 meeting of the Town Board that he hadn’t heard anything from the county. “I don’t see any action or public announcements,” he said. He encouraged residents to continue taking precautions. “It’s not going to be good if people start flouting” the restrictions designed to contain the spread of the virus. “And I feel that on the other side of the county there’s been some of that,” he said. “I know there’s fatigue out there,” he said, “but you get tired of being dead, too.”
■ On Nov. 19, Putnam Deputy County Executive Tom Feighery joined the county executives from Dutchess, Orange and Ulster on a teleconference to urge residents to avoid congregating with people outside their immediate households, which they said has helped spread the virus. According to Feighery, Putnam saw a link between casual social gatherings at Halloween and a doubling of COVID-19 cases six days later.
■ Specialist Bakim Alijaj of Beacon was among the members of the New York Army National Guard recognized this month with a commander’s challenge coin for staffing 15 COVID-19 drive-through test sites from Long Island to Buffalo over the past seven months. Alijaj, who is assigned to the medical command, worked at the SUNY Albany site.
■ The state on Nov. 16 introduced a web application, created with Google, to direct New York residents to benefits.
■ Cuomo announced that, effective Nov. 13 at 10 p.m., bars, restaurants and gyms or fitness centers will be required to close from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. Restaurants will be allowed to provide curbside, food-only, pick-up or delivery after 10 p.m. In addition, indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people.
■ The governor extended his state of emergency order through Dec. 3, allowing public meetings to continue to be held remotely.
■ Dutchess County has seen an uptick of COVID-19 cases because of outbreaks at Marist College and a rehabilitation center in Fishkill. “We’re not seeing a spillover into the community,” said Dr. Anil Vaidian, Dutchess’ health commissioner, in a video posted on Nov. 9.
■ The StoryScreen Beacon Theater in again showing films. Tickets are available only online and patrons must wear a mask whenever they are not seated and social distancing will be maintained between each party attending the movie together.
■ Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie said it would limit visitors for adult patients effective Nov. 6 because of an increase in COVID-19 cases in the Hudson Valley.
■ The Community Foundations of the Hudson Valley on Tuesday (Nov. 3) announced it had awarded $258,600 in Pivoting to Respond grants to nonprofits contending with COVID-19. Some regional services also received funds from the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation. Regional recipients were Arts Mid-Hudson, Legal Services of the Hudson Valley, Mid-Hudson Library System and the Worker Justice Center of New York. In Dutchess, the recipients included The Arc Mid-Hudson, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps, Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension Dutchess County, Dutchess Outreach, Hudson River Housing, Mental Health America of Dutchess County, Rebuilding Together Dutchess County and Unshattered. In Putnam, recipients included Camp Herrlich, CoveCare Center, Ecological Citizen’s Project, Garrison Art Center, Mental Health Association in Putnam County and Second Chance Foods.
■ Cuomo on Nov. 2 questioned a requirement by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all states agree to provide the name, address, date of birth, ethnicity, race, gender and a unique personal identification number for anyone who receives a COVID-19 vaccination if and when one is available.
■ The state on Oct. 31 announced new quarantine rules for travelers coming into New York to allow them to “test out” of the mandatory 14-day quarantine. For travelers who were in another state for more than 24 hours, they must obtain a test within three days of departure from the other state and quarantine for three days. On Day 4, they must obtain another test. If both tests are negative, they may exit quarantine on receipt of the second negative test. For those who were in another state for less than 24 hours, the person does not need a test or to quarantine but must take a test four days after his or her arrival in New York. All travelers must continue to fill out the traveler information form upon arrival into New York state.
■ After allowing vehicle owners to put off getting their annual inspections done, the state said that the extension would end on Nov. 3. Under an earlier executive order, the governor said inspections that expired after March 1 would remain valid. He initially set a deadline for Oct. 5, then pushed it to Nov. 3 and on Thursday (Oct. 15) said that would be the last extension. The deadline also applies for driver’s licenses and vehicle registrations that expired after March 1 and haven’t yet been renewed.
■ The state has established a COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 844-863-9314 for mental health counseling and resources. Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access 24/7 emotional support services. For more information see omh.ny.gov.
What If I Feel Sick?
You’re feeling ill, with a cough, fever, difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. What should you do?
“It’s important to emphasize that the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 remains low,” the Putnam Hospital Center advises patients on its website. “Most infected people will experience mild upper respiratory symptoms.
“Some people, including the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes and heart disease, are at greater risk and may require more intensive care and/or hospitalization.”
If you feel ill, the hospital says the first step is to contact your doctor. Many offer “virtual” visits by teleconference. If you visit your doctor’s office or an urgent care, call first to let them know of your symptoms. Only go to the emergency department or call 911 if you are in urgent distress, and let the dispatcher know that you may have been exposed to COVID-19.
If your doctor believes you have COVID-19, he or she can order a test, which allows you to make an appointment by phone at a drive-thru facility. At the facility, a sample will be collected and sent for testing.
For general questions about COVID-19, Putnam Hospital Center operates a hotline staffed by nurses daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 888-667-9262. A representative for the hospital said that most callers (1) ask about symptoms and what to do if exposed to someone who has COVID-19; (2) believe they have symptoms, in which case they are referred to their doctor; or (3) ask how they can donate equipment such as masks, anti-bacterial soap and, in one case, a pediatric ventilator.
The hospital has a list of commonly asked questions and responses posted at bitly.com/covidvirus-faq. The state Department of Health also has a hotline at 888-364-3065 that is open around the clock to answer general questions or for information about testing sites.
■ Questions? Dutchess County posts updates at dutchessny.gov/coronavirus and has a hotline at 845-486-3555. Putnam County posts info at putnamcountyny.com/health. New York State has a hotline at 888-364-3065 and a webpage at ny.gov/coronavirus. The state also created an email list to provide updates. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posts updates at cdc.gov. To find a test site, visit coronavirus.health.ny.gov.
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