Coronavirus: Children Testing Positive In Rockland, Orange

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — In the hot spots of the Hudson Valley, in Orange and Rockland counties, New York's school dashboard reports 317 school-aged children have tested positive.

The coronavirus clusters in Orange and Rockland are in the Ultra-Orthodox communities in Monsey, Palm Tree and Spring Valley.

In Rockland, the number of children testing positive reported by labs is much higher than elsewhere: 244 in the East Ramapo district and 18 living in the Suffern school district. Compare that to 5 in Nanuet, 3 in Clarkstown; 3 in North Rockland; 2 in Pearl River; 2 in Nyack and 2 in South Orangetown.

There are just 29 children reported by labs as having tested positive within the borders of the Kiryas Joel school district in Orange County. There are 9 children who tested positive with addresses in the nearby Monroe-Woodbury school district.

Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman advised residents to consider any public site in Orange County as a potential site of coronavirus exposure, due to the persistent increase in newly diagnosed cases.

New York state will begin fining local governments who do not enforce compliance with pandemic protocols that are mandated by executive order, such as social distancing, limiting large gatherings and wearing masks, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a hastily called news conference Friday morning.