8 Cooperating With Rockland Coronavirus Tracers After Subpoenas

CLARKSTOWN, NY — Eight people who were issued subpoenas Wednesday by fed-up officials in Rockland County are now cooperating with coronavirus contact tracers, a county spokesman said Thursday.

The eight people tested positive for the virus after attending a party in West Nyack June 17. County officials are concerned about the spread of the virus among people in their 20s at that party and two other parties with overlapping guest lists that took place June 20 and 27 in New City.

This does not mean there has been a rise in local cases of COVID-19, said Clarkstown Town Supervisor George Hoehmann. "There is no spike in the town of Clarkstown," he told Patch. "They're talking about a cluster."

At a news briefing Wednesday, Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert said the host of the first party had thrown it despite having coronavirus symptoms. At least seven guests were infected.

When health investigators reached out to those infected, they were hung up on or told that the person didn't want to cooperate, Ruppert said. Hence the subpoenas.

County Executive Ed Day said after Rockland had gone through the spring outbreak he wasn't going to have residents jeopardized by anyone's stupidity, ignorance or obstinance.

Rockland's outbreak was severe from March through May, with 13,602 people infected and 668 deaths. Cumulatively, 17 percent of the county residents who've been tested were found to be positive since the beginning of March.

Tracing the contacts of anyone who tests positive, to warn them of their exposure, is one key to controlling the virus's spread, officials say. On the individual level, social distancing, wearing masks, hand-washing, getting tested and self-quarantining is also critical.

“This virus is still among us and remains a serious risk to our health and safety. We’ve all worked very hard to reduce the infection and hospitalization rates in Rockland County," said Rockland County Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe. "While it defies common sense to attend large crowded parties, to ignore the calls from contact tracers after a diagnosis has been made is reckless and dangerous. I urge all to help us fight the spread of disease, and that means cooperating with the Department of Health and the contact tracing effort. Lives are literally at stake.”

County health officials also said they had heard of large July Fourth parties planned in Clarkstown among the same group of 20-somethings. The Clarkstown Police Department will be on alert, Hoehmann said.

However, he said although the health department shares addresses of residents who have tested positive three times a week, county officials have not yet shared the addresses of the parties or the eight infected partygoers. "We need information for our police to be able to react," he said. "It's disappointing that the health department has not shared the information it promised us."

The worst of the new coronavirus outbreak locally was March-May in Clarkstown, he said. In contrast, in June the town saw only 1-2 new confirmed infections a day out of hundreds of tests, and there were no COVID-19 related 9-1-1 calls compared to the 60-70 calls a day during the outbreak's height.

The county is in phase 3 of New York state's re-opening plan, Hoehmann said, reminding residents that gatherings of up to 25 people are allowed. Phase 4 is expected to begin Tuesday. Clarkstown residents concerned about large gatherings can call 845-639-2050 or police at 845-639-5800.