Legislative Chair Urges Rockland To Help Stop Coronavirus Spread

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — As neighborhoods at the center of a spike in cases went into a 14-day quarantine, Rockland County Legislature Chairman Alden H. Wolfe urged residents to step up their efforts to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

“Strictly relying on the data, we see that some areas in Rockland are experiencing an increase in positive cases – significant enough to warrant action by Gov. Cuomo so that we can bring these numbers down," Wolfe said in a news release. “I agree that now is the time to act because a clustered area also affords us an opportunity to attack this potentially life-threatening situation quickly and diligently."

The governor's Cluster Action Initiative targets two coronavirus hot spots in the Hudson Valley and three in New York City. The one in Rockland is located mostly in Ramapo, with a small portion in the neighboring town of Clarkstown.

The rules, which went into effect in Rockland at 12:01 a.m., close schools and non-essential businesses while limiting mass gatherings and religious services in the "red zone" and impose less strict limitations in a buffer "yellow zone."

Fines for the sponsors of mass gatherings have been increased to $15,000.

“We have already lost 679 residents to this terrible disease," Wolfe said. “More than 16,000 residents have tested positive and some have truly suffered, needing ventilation and other drastic measures to help keep them alive.

“Now is the time to refocus our efforts: Wear a mask, stay at least six feet apart and wash your hands frequently with soap and water. By working together, we can bring the number of positive cases down. We did it in March, April and May, and we can do it again."

Cuomo's initiative has three steps: (1) Take dramatic action within the cluster (2) Take action in the area surrounding the cluster to stop the spread. (3) Take precautionary action in the outlying communities.

• Red Zone - Cluster Itself: Houses of Worship: 25 percent capacity, 10 people maximum; Mass Gatherings: Prohibited; Businesses: Only essential businesses open; Dining: Takeout only; Schools: Closed, remote only.
• Yellow Zone - Precautionary Zone: Houses of Worship: 50 percent capacity; Mass Gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor; Businesses: Open; Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining, 4-person maximum per table; Schools: Open with mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings. The New York State Department of Health will establish a percentage of teachers and students/staff who need to be tested by Friday.

Wolfe urged residents seeking more information to go to New York State online and Rockland County online.

SEE ALSO:

• Teachers Want All East Ramapo Schools Online During Restrictions
• In the Zone
• Rockland County Hot Spot Restrictions Go Into Effect At Midnight