Measles Outbreak: 88 Cases In Rockland, 34 In Brooklyn

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — There are 88 confirmed cases of measles in Rockland County as well as 7 suspected cases that the Rockland County Department of Health is continuing to investigate. There are also now 34 cases in Brooklyn, NYC health officials said.

For Rockland, that's up from 83 cases counted Nov. 28. For Brooklyn, that's up from 29 cases as of Nov. 21.

While the measles outbreak has largely targeted the Orthodox Jewish community in both places, health officials warn that due to Rockland County's small geographic size, exposure to the measles may occur anywhere. People may shop, dine, and run errands around the county before they realize they are ill, but are contagious.

For example, a person who was contagious with measles visited the Best Buy in the Palisades Center in Rockland County Nov. 22-24 and anyone also there at that time was exposed.

SEE: New Measles Exposure: Best Buy, Market, Shipping Firm In Rockland

Anyone who visited the following locations may have been exposed to measles:

• Compare Supermarket on 11/22/2018 between 7 pm - 9:30 pm. 210 N. Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977

• Jalapa Express on 11/24/2018 between 5:30 - 7:45 pm. 10 S. Main Street, Spring Valley, NY

• Best Buy in Palisades Mall (entered and exited through outside entrance and did NOT enter the Mall itself) on 11/24/2018 between 7 pm - 9:30 pm. 1240 Palisades Center Drive, W. Nyack, NY 10994

These times reflect the period that the infected individual was in these areas and a two-hour period after the individual left the area, as the virus remains alive in air and on surfaces for up to two hours, health officials said.

If you were present at these locations during these times, and are in any of the following high-risk groups, contact your health care provider by phone right away:

• Pregnant
• A child under 6 months of age
• Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when your body can't fight disease)
• Have not been vaccinated against the measles
• Were born before 1957 and are immunosuppressed

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. As a result, if you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes) – help protect the community by staying home, not having visitors, and not going out in public, health officials said.

In Rockland, as the outbreak has worsened, officials began recommending that children as young as six months start the vaccination process. They also warned that people born before 1957, who have always been considered immune, could get at least a mild case of measles if exposed in this outbreak.

Rockland health officials have placed restrictions on schools in the geographic center of the outbreak: Monsey, Spring Valley and New Square. Un- or under-vaccinated students may not attend any schools where the vaccination rate is lower than 80 percent until 21 days after the last confirmed case in the county. Officials said that could be months away.

SEE ALSO:

• Measles Outbreak Tops 100 Cases In Rockland, Brooklyn
• Measles Exposure In Rockland County, Newark Airport
• Rockland, Westchester Exposed To Measles By Another Visitor
• After Recent Measles Scare, Rockland Offers Residents Free Vaccine
• Now With 15 Cases of Measles, Rockland Adds Vaccine Clinics
• Measles Outbreak: 20 Cases; Unvaccinated Kids Must Stay Home
• Now With 40 Measles Cases, County Adds Restrictions, Clinics
• Measles Outbreak Worsens; More Restrictions In Rockland

Image via CDC

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