Social distancing not being practiced in parks, trails

SOCIAL DISTANCING NOT BEING PRACTICED IN PARKS, BIKE TRAILS--AND PEOPLE ARE DYING OF COVID 19

TOWN INSTALLING SHIELDS IN OFFICES TO PROTECT EMPLOYEES FROM INFECTIONS

MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS STRONG SIGNAGE

http://westchester.news12.com/...

MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND I ARE UPSET THAT MANY PEOPLE ARE NOT MAINTAINING PHYSICAL DISTANCING AT OUTDOOR PARKS, TRAILS, BIKE PATHS

BETTER SIGNAGE NEEDED FOR BICYCLE SUNDAY--WE NEED TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER-- PEOPLE ARE DYING EVERY DAY

As you know, Westchester County has over 28,000 COVID-19 cases (over 1,600 in unincorporated Greenburgh and incorporated Greenburgh villages), and 1,000 have died in the County of the disease.

I have received numerous reports, and have observed first-hand, that individuals engaging in outdoor recreational activities are not maintaining physical distancing. This violates the Governor’s NYS PAUSE. Point # 6 requires avoiding outdoor recreational activities where individuals come in close contact.

The Greenburgh medical advisory committee of prestigious local doctors and other medical professionals has advised me that, from a public health perspective, close contact while engaging in outdoor recreational activities creates an increased risk of spreading the COVID-19 virus. The committee has recommended that the Town post signage reminding users: the COVID-19 pandemic is not over; NYS PAUSE requires those engaging in outdoor recreational activities to maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet from others; and people are still dying because some are careless or not practicing the recommendations.

I believe the County should post similar signage at County outdoor facilities (such as, walk and bike pathways, County parks), and at Bicycle Sundays if the County goes forward with those. Also, the County Police should monitor outdoor recreational areas to support compliance with the important public health directives of the Governor.

A study published in March 2020 in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that, under some conditions, virus-laden droplets can travel up to 26 feet. https://jamanetwork.com/journa... “There is no virtual wall at the 3 to 6 feet distance,” said the study’s author Professor Bourouiba of MIT.

There is an April 2020 Belgium-Dutch study that suggests that 6 feet of separation falls far short of what is safe when people are walking for exercise, running or cycling because of what is called the “slipstream” effect, the stream of air driven back by a person walking, running or biking. https://medium.com/@jurgenthoe...

I urge the County to have the Dept. of Health consider these studies and advise residents. Signage giving guidance with respect to more than 6 feet distancing while exercise walking, running and biking, specific as to each activity, may be appropriate for outdoor recreational areas in the County.

PAUL J. FEINER

TOWN SUPERVISOR

Medical Advisory Committee:

Maura Frank, MD, Committee Chair

Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Weill Cornell Medicine

Medical Director, New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Pediatric Practice

(Retired 7/19)

David Kudlowitz, MD,

Assistant Professor, Dept of Medicine

NYU Internal Medicine Associates, NYU Langone Health

Marc Richmond, MD, MS

Associate Professor of Pediatrics,

Division of Pediatric Cardiology

Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital of New York

Columbia University

Iris Schlesinger, MD

New York Medical College - Westchester Medical Center

(Retired)

Nitin Gupta, MD

Rivertowns Pediatrics

Dongming Cai, MD, PhD

Associate Professor of Neurology

Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Jitanda Barmecha MD, MPH, SFHM, FACP

Associate Professor of Medicine, CUNY School of Medicine

SBH Health System, Bronx, NY

Nicole Park, FNP, CDCES

CareMount Medical

LINKS TO PREVIOUS SUPERVISOR RECOMMENDATIONS ON ADVICE OF GREENBURGH MEDICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE

https://www.greenburghny.com/C... Bicycle Sunday's (add extra days in October when Bicycle Sunday's currently is not scheduled)

https://www.greenburghny.com/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=462-- April 23, 2020

Greenburgh Medical Advisory Committee makes recommendations re: COVID-19 1) safety practices for businesses and residents; 2) encourages home deliveries and curbside pickups to safeguard customers and staff; 3) address temperature checking; 4) encourages restaurants to explore options to use their food chain to make meats, produce and pre-packaged kits available to customers; 5) encourages posting of businesses that follow practices to be listed on town website

https://greenburghny.com/Civic... - - April 15, 2020

Curbside pickup of pharmacies recommended by Greenburgh Advisory Committee and Supervisor, as well as in store protective measures

Links to health/safety recommendations made by me prior to the formation of the Medical Advisory Committee

https://greenburghny.com/Civic... - - April 10, 2020

NYS adopts most of health/safety orders for supermarkets --very pleased. NYS adopted many provisions of local emergency order 1.1 state wide as it pertains to health and safety at supermarkets. As a result I will rescind Local Emergency Order No 1.1.

Health/safety conditions for all supermarkets/pharmacies announced

https://greenburghny.com/Civic...

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