Coronavirus Exposure: Warning In Rockland As Cases Jump To 13

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County is planning legal next steps in light of the jump in cases of new coronavirus and the death of a 64-year-old Suffern resident who was found to have had the virus as well as underlying health conditions. There were 13 cases of the virus known officially as COVID-19 in the county as of 5 p.m. Saturday.

“Because we are seeing additional community spread of COVID-19 in Rockland, I am advising all residents to practice ‘social distancing,’ which means remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings, and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet or 2 meters) from others when possible,” said Dr. Patricia Ruppert, the Rockland health commissioner.

Anyone who visited the Prince & Princess clothing store in Rockland County may have been exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and must stay in quarantine until the end date listed for each location:

Prince & Princess (children’s clothing store)

• Located at 421 Route 59 Suite 5, Monsey, NY 10952
• Potential Exposure: Tuesday, March 10 through Thursday, March 12, 2020, from 10:00 am – 6:00 pm
• Quarantine must continue until March 26, 2020

Rockland County Executive Ed Day said Saturday:

Here in Rockland County we have been working very closely with and in support of the actions taken by New York State. However, the time has come that we must take additional actions locally to protect the health and safety of everyone in Rockland.

There are numerous legal obstacles that we have had to address before taking summary action. We are working through the weekend to ensure this is being done in a legal and proper manner.

The details of those local actions are being finalized and will be announced fully on Monday at 1 p.m. I ask all of you to stay calm and remember to look out for your friends and neighbors as we navigate this situation with COVID-19. Together there is no obstacle we cannot overcome.

If you were at the store during those times, you must follow these quarantine instructions:

STAY AT HOME:

• You must stay away from other people for the entire quarantine period.
• You cannot go to work, school, religious services, or any other public place.
• You should not have guests in your home.
• As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home.
• You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.
• You should use a separate bathroom, if available.
• If you need to share a bathroom, you must clean the bathroom after you use it every time.

FACEMASK IF NEEDED:

• If you must be around other people, you should wear a facemask (e.g., sharing a room or vehicle).
• If you need to visit a healthcare provider's office, put on a facemask before you arrive.
• If you are not able to wear a facemask (for example, because it causes trouble breathing), then people who live with you should not be in the same room with you, or they should wear a facemask if they enter your room.

NECESSITIES:

• Food and other items that you need should be left outside your room door.

HYGIENE:

• You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people.
• After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.
• Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.

IF YOU FEEL SICK:

• If you feel sick, call your private physician for further guidance.

Additional guidance from the CDC on preparing your household for Coronavirus is available on the Rockland County Department of Health COVID-19 website: http://rcklnd.us/covid19.

Updated numbers of individuals under quarantine are not currently available due to the rapidly changing nature of this situation. The Rockland County Health Department is following CDC and New York State Department of Health protocols.

It is recommended that Rockland residents take the following protections to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19):

• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
• When you go out in public, keep 6 feet away from other people, and limit close contact.
• Per the New York State Department of Health, avoid crowded places such as theaters, restaurants and bars, fitness centers, places of worship, events and conferences, as much as possible.
• Stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
• Stay home if sick and contact your medical provider before visiting their office.
• Wash hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 62% alcohol.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing. If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
• Avoid shaking hands.
• Routinely clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay up to date on CDC travel health notices: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/notices.

If you need to buy important items like food and medication and are at higher risk for COVID-19 (Visit http://bit.ly/CDCCOVID-19High-Risk to learn who is at most risk for serious illness), consider using online grocery delivery or pick up services which are available from local stores and national internet-based companies. EBT cards are accepted by many vendors online. Visit http://bit.ly/38Uw4Nq for information about local retailers that accept EBT. If you need emergency food assistance visit https://regionalfoodbank.net/find-nearest-agency/.

If you have any concerns about COVID-19, call the New York State Department of Health’s Novel Coronavirus 24-hour hotline at 1-888-364-3065 to speak with a NYSDOH expert who will answer questions.

The Suffern resident's death Thursday was the first in New York State from the virus, but the second to be confirmed as virus related. The first confirmed coronavirus-related death in the state was an 82-year-old woman who had emphysema who died Friday night at a hospital in Brooklyn, 10 days after she was first admitted.

More than 600 cases were confirmed in New York as of Saturday, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said. In addition to the 13 in Rockland, the total includes 213 in New York City, 172 in Westchester, 68 in Nassau and 33 in Suffolk.

"The new numbers, which are going up because the testing is now ramping up at a dramatic rate, we have 613 positive cases, we have [88] new cases from when we last spoke," Cuomo said.