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WPCNR CORONAVIRUS WHITE PLAINS REPORT. From the Mayor’s Office. March 11, 2020 :
The Governor today confirmed 39 additional cases in New York State, bringing the total to 212. 121 of those cases (13 new cases) are in Westchester County. The state is expecting the number of cases to continue to rise in the foreseeable future.
Westchester County has now received permission from the State Health Department to inform mayors and supervisors of the number of individuals in their municipality who test positive for Coronavirus.
As we have said in prior posts, this information had not previously been provided and thus we could not share what we did not have. White Plains, along with other municipalities, has been advocating for the provision of this information.
We have been informed that as of today, 3 individuals in White Plains are positive for coronavirus. We have been informed that these individuals are abiding by all the required quarantine measures. We will continue to share all statistics provided to us by the State and County Health Departments.
The Governor today announced that the State will be contracting with approximately 28 private labs in the state to do additional coronavirus testing. The Governor is moving ahead with this as a means of trying to break through the widely reported bottleneck in testing. The CDC has assented to the state’s plan.
The state is advising business leaders around the state to think about ways in which they can “reduce density” through options such as telecommuting and shift changes if possible.
Reducing density (that is, reducing the number and type of situations that bring a large number of people together in close quarters), along with increasing testing capacity, is a top priority of the state as a means of stopping the spread of the virus.
Program and Event Cancellations & Postponements
The White Plains St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, has been canceled.
The St. Patrick’s Day Luncheon at the White Plains Community Center scheduled for Thursday, March 12th, has been canceled.
White Plains Library Foundation 25th Anniversary Gala scheduled for March 14th, has been postponed.
AARP has decided to suspend the AARP Tax Aide program at the White Plains Public Library for the weeks of 3/16 and 3/24. They will re-evaluate after the 24th. Please check the Library website, https://whiteplainslibrary.org/, for updates.
The Youth Bureau’s Women in STEM Forum scheduled for Sunday, March 29th will be moved to the fall.
The Youth Bureau’s Grandpas United Sports Talk scheduled for Monday, March 30th has been canceled.
The Youth Bureau Arts Show: Soulful Homecoming scheduled for Thursday, April 2nd, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd.
The STEAM Fair/Youth Bureau Open House scheduled for Saturday, April 25th has been canceled. The Open House will be rescheduled for the fall. The STEAM Fair will not be rescheduled.
Prevention Information
City buildings and facilities continue to be cleaned and disinfected throughout the day. We continue to make this a priority.
Residents who are concerned and/or have questions about coronavirus should call the NYS DOH hotline at: 1-888-364-3065. This hotline is staffed 24/7. We urge everyone to continue to practice common sense preventive measures. While there is currently no vaccine to prevent this virus, these simple steps can help stop the spread of this and other respiratory viruses:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
In addition to general guidance provided to the public, NYS has been providing sector-specific guidance to groups such as health care workers and nursing homes. We expect more of this in the coming days. We continue to work with state, county, and local officials to ensure a coordinated response and will continue to update residents on a regular basis. For more information access these trustworthy resources:
NYS DOH:
https://health.ny.gov/diseases/communicable/coronavirus/
CDC:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/index.html
Westchester County DOH:
https://health.westchestergov.com/