ICYMI: Town Of Smithtown Coronavirus Prevention & Awareness

TOWN OF SMITHTOWN, NY — The Town of Smithtown Emergency Management personnel participated in the Suffolk County update Monday evening regarding the evolution of the new coronavirus, Supervisor Edward R. Wehrheim's Office announced Tuesday.

Since then, a state of emergency was declared Thursday throughout Suffolk County. There are two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the Town of Smithtown and 28 in Suffolk, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced Friday.

"It is important that residents stay calm and use good precautionary judgement, much like we would during influenza season," the Supervisor's Office said in a news release Tuesday. "Older adults and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions such as heart and lung disease are more susceptible to the virus and should make necessary provisions to avoid possible exposure risk. This also goes for caregivers and your families. Be smart, stay calm and look out for one another."

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The Smithtown Senior Center will be closed March 16 through March 30, and all Smithtown Central School District buildings will be closed to the public next week.

The office sent the following information intended to help residents take preventative actions and precautions to avoid further spread of COVID-19:

Be Proactive:

• Keep space between yourself and others; refrain from shaking hands, hugging and similar social contact.
• Avoid close proximity to others who are sick, and wash your hands thoroughly and often.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible such as public transportation and events.
• Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
• Stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.
• Avoid touching public high-touch surface areas like elevator buttons, door handles, handrails, etc. Use a tissue or your sleeve to cover your hand or finger if you must touch something.
• Avoid touching your face, nose, eyes, etc.
• Clean and disinfect your home to remove germs, particularly frequently touched surfaces like tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks & cell phones.

Be Prepared:

• Keep a travel-sized bottle of hand sanitizer handy at all times.
• Contact your healthcare provider to ask about obtaining extra prescriptions to have on-hand. Consider using mail-order for medications.
• Stock up on over-the-counter medicines and medical supplies to treat a fever and other flu-like symptoms. Most people will be able to recover from the coronavirus at home.
• Have enough household items and groceries on hand so that you will be prepared to stay at home for a period of time.

The Supervisor's Office recommends travelers, especially those with underlying health issues, cancel cruise ship travel abroad.

"If you have traveled to China, Iran, Italy, & South Korea you will be asked to stay home for a period of 14 days from the time you left the area with widespread or ongoing community spread," the office said. "Older adults or individuals with chronic medical conditions should postpone travel to destinations abroad."

Click here for more information on COVID-19 symptoms from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and here for frequently-asked questions on the coronavirus on Suffolk County's website. You can also call the county at 311. For questions or concerns about travel and symptoms, you can call 1-888-364-3065.

Here's the latest on coronavirus updates in the United States for the weekend of March 13.