8th Death Reported At LI Retirement Community

GREENPORT, NY — Peconic Landing, a retirement community located in Greenport, reported an eighth death on Tuesday.

"Out of respect for the family, we provide the following information: The member was an 88-year-old man of The Shores for Skilled Nursing. He tested positive on March 17 and passed away on March 30 after receiving treatment for symptoms of COVID-19 at Stony Brook Southampton Hospital. He was admitted on March 20 and had known pre-existing conditions," Peconic Landing said.

The current number of positive diagnoses amongst members is 10, all located within the health center. The current number of positive diagnoses amongst employees is 15 out of 377 total employees, Peconic Landing said in a release.

For weeks, family members who have loved ones living at Peconic Landing have been pleading for expanded testing, that would test every member and staffer at the facility.

On Tuesday, during a media briefing, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said he did not have any specific information on the possibility of widespread testing at different facilities, including retirement communities or nursing homes.

Right now, he said, testing is expanding broadly, with new testing coming down the pike and promising and innovative new antibody tests being developed.

When the first cases were diagnosed, Bellone said, the goal was to test those who were symptomatic, or had been in direct contact with someone who had coronavirus, with the goal of isolating the person and identifying their close contacts to mitigate spread and community transmission. Today, if an individual has symptoms, the idea is to assume that they have the virus; they should stay home and isolate, treating the symptoms as they would a normal virus.

"You can look at the map and numbers and see that the virus has been here for some time," Bellone said.

What's most important now is the development of antibody testing, to identify those who have had the virus, he said. "Many people have likely had the. virus and have no idea they've had it," Bellone said.

Testing has ramped up countywide, with about 18,000 tests done so far, but more is needed, with. goal of more broad-based testing, he said.

Families who have loved ones living at Peconic Landing, including Tony Spiridakis, whose mother Eugenia lives at the facility, are frustrated, not with the team at the facility, but with lawmakers who they feels should be working to get everyone tested and all resources provided immediately.

"Where is Rep. Lee Zeldin?" Spiridakis asked. "This is war. Lee Zeldin is always touting that he served. Where is he? Where are the politicians, to protect our parents?"

The staff at Peconic Landing, Spiridakis said, is tireless in their efforts to help. "They are heroes. They are the actual warriors doing the front line work. They love all the people there."

Spiridakis wants to know where lawmakers including Zeldin, Bellone and Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski stand on the issue of expanded testing to ensure everyone, including all members and staff members, at Peconic Landing, has gotten a coronavirus test.

"They should demand the tests," he said. "Where are the politicians who should be helping Bob Syron?"

Syron is Peconic Landing's president and CEO.

Other family members are also concerned: "I wish we could get some communication on who is being tested," said one man, who asked not to be identified to protect the identity of his parents, who live at Peconic Landing. "We still don't know that and if workers have had contact with infected members. Are they tested? Peconic Landing's answer is that they are following state protocol."

In light of the reported deaths and confirmed positive cases, family and community members sounded a cry for testing every resident and staff member at Peconic Landing.

Syron told Patch that's just not possible. "We don't have the ability. We wish we could,"he said. "There just aren't enough tests. I have no control over it. If I could write a check to have every person tested, I would have written it."

The New York State Department of Health determines who is tested, he added.

Officials speak out on testing issue

A media representative for Zeldin responded on Friday: "While the New York State Health Department makes the determination who is tested, the congressman has worked with the governor's office to expand and expedite the availability of testing, including at Peconic Landing. This has included securing approvals for state lab testing, private lab testing, semi-automated testing, and the opening of the first free drive-thru mobile testing site" at Stony Brook.

Zeldin said he has also encouraged the state to open another drive thru testing site further east for residents who have difficulty getting to Stony Brook; a new testing site opened in Riverhead this week.

Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, when asked about testing, said the question of expanded testing came up on a call with Bellone recently. "They are willing to review it," he said. "It's not a guarantee that anything will change — but they are willing to review it."

Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming also said Bellone would ask the state for clarification on the idea of possibly "loosening prioritization" to allow for more extensive testing in assisted living and other facilities where seniors are living in close proximity. She said she would support a continued push for the New York State Department of Health for the capability to do that.

Speaking about his mom, Spiridakis has tears in his voice: "It's really hard," he said. "She's a Queens girl. She told me, 'Honey, I'm going to die, and I know I'm going to die soon. I'm 90. But I don't want it to be from this."