Health & Fitness
Stay Home, Rockland: County Coronavirus Cases Double Overnight
"The health care systems in Rockland are becoming overwhelmed and residents must do their part to avoid a further crisis," officials said.
NEW CITY, NY — County Executive Ed Day and Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert issued a warning Thursday afternoon to residents about the widespread confirmation of the new coronavirus in Rockland. There were 80 cases in the county as of Thursday afternoon, they said.
That's almost double the 45 cases confirmed Wednesday evening.
"The cases are rising dramatically each day and it is expected this trend will continue," they said. "The health care systems in Rockland are becoming overwhelmed and residents must do their part to avoid a further crisis."
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Therefore, officials said, all residents must stay home, healthy or sick. That includes children and teens not in school. That includes all adults, unless you must get food, medical supplies, or must work outside the home (if you cannot work from home).
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Try to use delivery services when possible. Stay away from other people as much as possible, following the recommendation of 6 feet (2 meters).
There were 4,152 confirmed cases in New York as of Thursday morning, state officials said. Of those, 798 were in Westchester County, 31 were in Dutchess, 53 were in Rockland and 51 were in Orange County.
“The time has come that everyone here in Rockland must stay home. We all have an individual responsibility to do our part to curb the spread of this disease. Your choices now and throughout this outbreak will make the difference between life and death for members of our community,” said Dr. Ruppert.
A catering company in Spring Valley was fined $2,000 after health department investigators found a gathering of more than 100 people there on Tuesday.
Residents must consider any public site in Rockland as a potential site of COVID-19 exposure, officials said.
Any events and gatherings of people still scheduled to take place in the coming weeks must be canceled or face fines imposed by county ordinances. Due to the spread of the new coronavirus in the county, the health department will no longer be able to advise residents where potential exposures have occurred.
If you become mildly ill, stay home and manage your symptoms. For residents who have symptoms indicative of COVID-19, contact your medical provider to discuss your symptoms. The health department is advising people with mild illness to stay home and not get tested. Do not dial 9-1-1 unless you have an immediate medical emergency.
Continue to practice good hygiene including washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, cover your cough and sneeze with your elbow or a tissue and do not touch eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands.
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.
You may also call 211 for local COVID-19 information and resources, visit the county’s coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage or follow us on Facebook or Twitter for more information.
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