WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER SETS RECORD VISITS FOR YEAR 7,017,658 VISITS! 2,098,003 VISITORS MADE 6 VISITS A DAY EVERY DAY. 63,330 UNIQUE VISITORS MADE 133,730 VISITS IN DECEMBER. WPCNR AVERAGED 17,284 VISITORS A WEEK, VISITING 31,270 TIMES.

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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS REPORT. From the Governor’s Press Office (Edited) and News Teleconference, and WPCNR reporting. March 14, 2020:

Governor Cuomo confirmed 100 additional cases of novel coronavirus, since Friday, bringing the statewide total to 524 confirmed cases in New York State.

Of the 524 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, included were 213 in New York City, including the first death in the state, (an 82 year-old hospitalized woman with emphysema ) and 172 total in Westchester County . The geographic breakdown is as follows:

Albany County: 3 (1 new)

Broome County: 1

Delaware County: 1

Dutchess County: 3

Herkimer County: 1

Monroe County: 2

Nassau County: 68 (17 new)

New York City: 213 (59 new)

Orange County: 6 (3 new)

Rockland County: 10 (1 new)

Saratoga: 3

Schenectady: 1

Suffolk County: 33 (3 new)

Tioga County: 1 (1 new)

Tompkins County: 1 (1 new)

Ulster County: 5

Westchester County: 172 (14 new)

During telephone questions from reporters. the Governor said the Quarantine of 36 persons associated with the Temple Israel exposure to the virus would have their mandatory quarantines ended today.

Additionally, Governor Cuomo said he will sign an Executive Order today to help relieve the economic impact of COVID-19 on workers and assure school aid for schools that have been directed to close.

As part of the Governor’s Executive Order, the state will waive the 7-day waiting period for workers in shared work programs to claim unemployment insurance for those that have been put out of work by COVID-19.

The Executive Order will also eliminate the aid penalty for schools directed to close by state or local officials or those closed under a state or local declaration of emergency that do not meet 180-day requirements if they are unable to make up school days.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the State Department of Financial Services will require insurance companies to waive co-pays for telehealth visits. This action will encourage New Yorkers to seek medical attention from their homes rather than visit a hospital or doctor’s office — ultimately reducing strain on the healthcare system and preventing further spread of the virus.

The Governor also authorized the State to open a drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island in the coming week. This follows the success of the New Rochelle mobile testing center, which opened yesterday and serviced 150 cars and tested 263 people, exceeding the initial goal of testing 200 people in the first day. Once fully operational, the New Rochelle facility will be able to test up to 500 people per day. Drive-through mobile testing facilities help keep people who are sick or at risk of having contracted coronavirus out of healthcare facilities where they could infect other people. 

The addition of a mobile testing facility on Long Island is part of the State’s initiative to replicate the New Rochelle Mobile Testing Center model at other locations, helping allow the state to run at least 6,000 tests per day starting next week — six times the state’s target goal when this outbreak first came to New York. This is on top of the testing that will be conducted at the 28 public and private labs across the state and the out of state labs that New York is already contracting with. All of this is a result of the proactive steps taken by Governor Cuomo and the Department of Health to get as many New Yorkers tested as possible.

“As the novel coronavirus continues to spread and the number of positive cases increases, we are encouraging New Yorkers to use tele-medicine if they are sick and we will set up a new drive-through mobile testing facility on Long Island to help keep people out of emergency rooms and reduce the strain on our healthcare system,” Governor Cuomo said. 

“The more tests we do, the higher the number of positive cases we will see — so we need to keep that context in mind when we see these numbers continuing to go up. And we will continue to communicate the facts, because the facts and the information defeat the fear and anxiety in this situation.”

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The presence of novel coronavirus COVID-19 in Westchester County reminds us of the importance of taking care of ourselves and one another, as we come together to experience the magic of live entertainment at the WPPAC.

After numerous discussions with the City of White Plains & Westchester County officials, and with an abundance of caution, we have made the difficult decision to suspend and reschedule all of our upcoming special events and Mainstage performances for the next several weeks.  We have joined our colleagues of Broadway, Performing Arts Center @ Purchase College, Carnegie Hall, the NBA, the NHL, MLB, the PGA Tour, Seattle 5^th Avenue Theatre, The Metropolitan Opera, and many other arts organization which hold events for audiences greater than 250 persons. In making this decision we have put the health and well-being of our wonderful patrons, artists and staff at the forefront.

We are in the process of reorganizing our 2020 calendar to accommodate these rescheduled performances.  The new dates are as follows: 

·         The Spouse Whisperer: May 21 at 8pm

·         Mainstage production of Side Show: October 9 -25 

·         John Lloyd Young Jukebox Hero: November 7 or 14 (final date will be announced next week upon artist confirmation) 

Questions about tickets to any upcoming event please email boxoffice@wppac.com for assistance. In order to provide the best service we are suggesting that everyone email us in the event it becomes necessary to restrict staffing our box office. All of our staff can monitor emails and our ticketing system remotely.

We thank our patrons for their patience and understanding and wish the best of health to them, their family and friends during this challenging time.

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WPCNR STAGE DOOR. From Westchester Broadway Theatre. March 13, 2020. 2;45 pm edt:

WESTCHESTER BROADWAY THEATRE CLOSED BY MANDATE

The Westchester Broadway theatre has been mandated by the office of the Governor of New York State to close our doors effective 5 PM, March 13.  We will be closed a minimum of four weeks.

Our current show, All Shook Up is being postponed to a date yet to be determined.

In reaction to the coronavirus, all efforts are being made to slow the spread by limiting the number of people congregating in one place.  The safety and well-being of our patrons, actors, musicians and our entire staff is our first priority.

We should not be thinking of ways to protect the theatre but thinking of ways to protect our fellow humans.  Our health must come first.  Please follow all the health professional’s advice; wash your hands often, disinfect all surfaces, sneeze into tissue, avoid touching your face and shaking hands with others.

If you have already purchased tickets for any of our shows, between March 13 thru April 14, 2020, a credit will be put into your account – when we reopen you can use that credit to purchase tickets to any show you’d like.  We will also include a free drink….and together we’ll all toast a return to normalcy.

Our box office will be available by phone (914)592-2222 ONLY for limited days & hours yet to be determined.  As this is a rapidly evolving situation, we will continue to keep you updated but encourage you to check our websitewww.broadwaytheatre.com  for all updates.

Thank you for your continued support and stay well.

WBT Management and Staff

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Anthony Scarpiono, Jr., Westchester County Interview held in his office in the County Courthouse, discussing the court system, what lies ahead, and effects of the Corona Virus on the courts in a 19-minute interview with the White Plains Examiner and WPCNR.

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Confirms 109 Additional Coronavirus Cases in New York State – Bringing Statewide Total to 325; New Cases in 14 Counties

Events OF 500 or More Individuals Cancelled or Postponed

Any Gathering Under 500 Required to Cut Capacity by 50 Percent

Nursing Homes Visits- Only Medically Necessary Visits Allowed

First Public Drive-Through Testing Facility Starts Friday

BROADWAY SHOWS SUSPENDED UNTIL APRIL 12

WPCNR CORONA VIRUS REPORT. From the Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo. March 12, 2020:

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the state will institute limits on mass gatherings, directing events with 500 or more individuals in attendance to be cancelled or postponed. Public health experts agree mass gatherings with people making sustained close contact are a place where the novel coronavirus can easily infect many people quickly and continue its spread.

As such, events, gatherings, or places of business with less than 500 individuals in attendance will be required to cut capacity by 50 percent, with exceptions being made for spaces where individuals do not make sustained close contact, such as schools, hospitals, public buildings, mass transit, grocery stores and retail stores.

These new regulations will go into effect Friday, March 13th at 5pm, with the exception of Broadway Theaters where the limits will go into effect this evening at 5pm.

In an effort to protect some of the most vulnerable New Yorkers, Governor Cuomo also announced only medically necessary visits will be allowed at nursing homes. This policy will be effective Friday at 5pm.

The state is also asking nursing homes to set up skyping and other online communication capacity so families can tele-visit their loved ones. Additionally, the state will require health screenings for all nursing home workers each day when they enter a facility and require them to wear surgical masks to guard against any potential asymptomatic spread.

In order to increase testing capacity, the State is contracting with BioReference Laboratories to run an additional 5,000 tests per day on top of what the state is already doing. These additional 5,000 tests per day will come online next week.

This additional testing capacity is on top of that of the 28 private labs the Governor announced are partnering with the state in the coming days and weeks. Additionally, the Governor announced the first public drive-through testing facility on the east coast will start testing people tomorrow in New Rochelle. Testing will be done by appointment only. New Rochelle residents who have been quarantined will be tested first. 

Finally, the Governor confirmed 109 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 325 confirmed cases in New York State. Of the 325 total individuals who tested positive for the virus, the geographic breakdown is as follows:

Albany County: 1 (1 new)

Broome County: 1 (1 new)

Delaware County: 1 (1 new)

Dutchess County: 1 (1 new)

Herkimer County: 1 (1 new)

Monroe County: 1 (1 new)

Nassau County: 41 (13 new)

New York City: 95 (43 new)

Orange County: 1 (1 new)

Rockland County: 7 (1 new)

Saratoga County: 3 (1 new)

Suffolk County: 20 (14 new)

Ulster County: 4 (3 new)

Westchester County: 148 (27 new)

“The spread of this coronavirus is not going to stop on its own, and we know that mass gatherings have been hotspots for the virus to infect large numbers of people quickly,” Governor Cuomo said. “To help contain it, we are instituting limits on large events as well as new measures to protect our most vulnerable populations — including people in nursing homes — and preparing our healthcare system to be able to deal with any future capacity issues. While the context is key and the anxiety is outpacing the facts of this situation, we will continue taking aggressive action to protect public health and prepare for any future spread of this virus.”  

“Our number one priority is protecting the public health and every action the Governor and the State of New York have taken thus far have been in furtherance of that goal,” State Health Department Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said. “Public health experts have been clear that limiting large public gatherings where there is potential for close contact is a critical way to slow the spread of this virus. This regulation will help keep people healthy and safe.”

The Governor also announced that the State is taking measures to create a reserve workforce of health care professionals in the event of a staffing shortage and identify state facilities that can be used as temporary hospitals.

The State is asking former doctors, nurses and other health care professionals to reconnect with their former employers and offer to work on an on-call basis in the cases of a staffing shortage. The State is also identifying National Guard medics for reserved staffing and contacting medical schools to identify possible reserve health care professionals. Additionally, the Department of Health is accelerating regulations to get more health care personnel trained so they can work in other areas.

For all schools in communities with the highest rates of positive cases, the state will be taking proactive steps to implement protocols that limit mass contact. Today the Governor announced SUNY Albany will cancel in person classes for the rest of the semester effective tomorrow after a positive case was confirmed today.

Additionally, any business that cannot accommodate rigorous cleaning standards should contact Empire State Development at (212) 803-3100 for a close order.