Coronavirus: 18 Southold Cases; 14 Of Those In Greenport — Mayor

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — The number of confirmed coronavirus cases continued to rise in Suffolk County Saturday, with a new total of 41 — and 18 of those reported in Southold Town.

Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell confirmed the additional new cases Saturday night; Southold saw 7 new cases confirmed since Friday.

Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard said he had been told by county officials that three cases were confirmed in the the greater Greenport area Saturday, with a total of 14 "around Greenport," including the village and its wider Greenport proper boundaries — but added he had no additional information on exact locations.

Greenport, Hubbard said, includes the one square mile of the village, from Bridge St. to 6th St.; the entirety of Greenport proper extends from the Mill Creek bridge to the golf course, he explained; the 14 cases reported are located within the Greenport proper borders, Hubbard said.

When asked if those confirmed positive were tested at Eastern Long Island Hospital, Hubbard said he was not privy to that information from Suffolk County as it would be a violation of privacy laws. For additional information from Suffolk County, residents can call the 311 number set up for information or go online to the county's website.

Suffolk County officials did not immediately confirm that number; the Suffolk County Dept. of Health has not released information on specific hamlets due to privacy concerns, officials said.

"The Suffolk County Health Department is working hard to release all the information they an to ensure public safety," Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said. "It is true that the Town of Southold has a higher incidence than any other place in the county so the community in Southold needs to take this very seriously. Every individual needs to take good care of their own health and take every step they can to prevent community spread."

She also referred to the county's efforts to create a business plan to help businesses impacted by coronavirus, with information about how to access loans and funding.

In addition, Fleming has written a letter to state officials advocating for school closures countywide. "It's a hard decision to make but we have to contain the spread," she said, adding that the aim is to increase mobile spots for "grab and go meals" for those low-income families left strapped, should schools close.

When asked where the new cases were located on the North Fork on Sunday, Russell said the Suffolk County Department of Health had asked the town not to disclose the locations.

"I am unsure if they think that this jeopardizes patient confidentially law or if they believe it may cause more fear and doctors and healthcare facilities would be overrun by concerned residents," he said. "They haven't told us specifically why."

As for the impact on business, Russell said employers have been bringing the important information to the public so co-workers and the public are aware.

"The small businesses that have closed have been hit particularly hard and there will likely be more. The impact is not just the complete loss of business but the extensive costs of disinfecting their buildings. They have taken immediate action to protect the public. When this passes, we should remember that and thank them with our business," Russell said.

And, the supervisor added, the public needs to stay calm. "I know that it is very difficult for people to keep this in mind but, it will pass and we shouldn't panic. I have family and am concerned for them, as well Stay on top of the steps you need to protect yourself and your family and avoid close contact with everyone," Russell said.

On the Southold Union Free School District's website, Superintendent David Gamberg said it had come to his attention earlier Saturday evening that a staff member at Southold had tested positive for COVID-19.

"We are awaiting direction from the Suffolk County Health Department in terms of next steps as far as a continuing investigation with this case. We are cancelling the staff conference day on Tuesday, March 17," he wrote.

Discussing the spike in cases, Russell said testing capabilities have expanded. "That will be one of the reasons why we will likely see numbers go up more quickly than before. Since we were the town to have the first confirmed case, it's to be expected that our number of confirmed cases would be grow faster. Any impact this will eventually have in the more densely-populated towns to the west remains to be seen."

In addition, Russell said, the town has been working with the Suffolk County Department of Health and partners throughout the county to make sure "we all receive the resources we need."

Discussing how the number of cases will impact local business owners, Russell said: "It's too early to determine what the economic impacts will end up being, but will likely be substantial. Sources of funding to offset these impacts will hopefully be available at the federal and/or state level."

Of the 41 cases:

- 18 are in Southold, up from 11 Friday.

- 7 are in Brookhaven Town

- 6 are in Huntington

- 4 are in Babylon

- 3 are in Smithtown

- 2 are in Islip

- 1 is in East Hampton

In addition, another 104 individuals are in mandatory quarantine, said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, who gave an update Saturday from outside the Gurwin Jewish Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Commack.

Bellone was joined by New York State Senator James Gaughran and Stuart Almer, Gurwin's president and CEO, to announce that New York State Clean hand sanitizer, produced by New York State, is being delivered to 41 nursing homes and 55 assisted living facilities in Suffolk County.

The goal was not just to provide the much-needed hand sanitizer but to prevent price gouging, Bellone said.

"We are delivering this to the places where the most vulnerable are located," Bellone said, including senior citizens and those with underlying medical conditions.

Due to the county's state of emergency, Bellone said, office hours are suspended the Suffolk County Traffic and Parking Violations Agency.

Bellone urged the public not to panic. "There are many, many steps being taken to contain the spread of this virus," he said, with levels of government working together to "make sure we are responding in every way we can to this global health crisis."