WPCNR ALBANY BULLETIN. Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the total of positive cases had once again gone up tonight after 8 PM Saturday.
New York State now has 613 positive tests for COVID-19, up from 524 announced this morning, the governor announced. There have been a total of 4,700 tests conducted, with 736 taking place since the governor last spoke Saturday afternoon.
The Governor today confirmed 103 additional COVID-19 cases in New York State, bringing the total to 524. 172 of those cases (14 new cases) are in Westchester County. Coronavirus is now present in 16 NY counties and New York City. We have not received an updated White Plains number from the County as of today. We will share an update with you as soon as we receive it.
The State is expecting the number of cases to continue to rise in the foreseeable future and is moving aggressively to increase its testing capacity.
If you are experiencing symptoms associated with coronavirus, please call either the White Plains Hospital Hotline at (914) 681-2900 or the NYS Dept of Health Hotline at 1-888-364-3065. Professional staff will screen you over the phone by asking you a series of questions and assess your need for testing.
Out of an abundance of caution, the White Plains Public Library will be closed to the public starting tomorrow, Sunday, March 15th. We will be sharing more information about how you can use our virtual services in the days to come. In the meantime, we have a robust e-book and e-audio collection available, as well as many resources for streaming media, including Kanopy, an excellent film collection.
As many of you have heard, the White Plains School District has decided to close on Monday and Tuesday March 16 & 17. The district will use up 2 snow days for this closure.
This decision was reached after consultation with NY State officials and the State Education Dept. The school closure is consistent with the model of social distancing that has been recommended by public health professionals.
Dr. Ricca expects that further guidance from the state will be forthcoming next week. Dr. Ricca and I have been speaking and coordinating regularly during this crisis and I support the decision he has made.
In connection with the school closure, the White Plains Youth Bureau will also be closed on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Social Distancing & Reducing Density to Prevent Spread of COVID-19:Earlier this week, the Governor announced measures aimed at further containing the spread of the virus by prohibiting gatherings of 500 or more people and requiring that gatherings of less than 500 people reduce their capacity by 50% effective March 13, 2020 at 5:00 PM.
The Governor did not put an end date on these restrictions, but said the state is re-evaluating daily.
The state is advising businesses 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.
Looking for More Information?In an effort to keep these updates to a manageable length, we have posted two new items under the heading “Latest News” on the home page of the City website, www.cityofwhiteplains.com.
These items focus on: 1) Prevention information, including reliable links for public health information, and 2) City Program/Event/Meeting changes due to coronavirus. These two pages are being updated regularly.
For coronavirus prevention information, please visit this link on the City of White Plains website. For information on changes to city programs and events due to coronavirus, please visit this link on the City of White Plains website.
Thank you,Mayor Tom Roach
| WPCNR Matters of Faith. From the Archdiocese of NY. March 14, 2020: In light of the continued concern surrounding the coronavirus, and the advice of medical experts, all Masses in the Archdiocese of New York will be canceled beginning this weekend, March 14-15, 2020. This development follows upon today’s decision of Dutchess County to prohibit gatherings of more than 20 people. It is also intended to provide clarity and consistency throughout the ten counties that comprise the Archdiocese of New York (Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess). Churches will, however, remain open for private prayer. Timothy Cardinal Dolan, Archbishop of New York, urged the faithful to remember in their prayers all those whose lives have been impacted by the coronavirus outbreak. “Let us pray for all who are sick, as well as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all those working hard to combat the disease. We should also remember those whose lives have been otherwise disrupted, especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work during this difficult time.” A private Mass will be celebrated in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, and will be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and its website here, livestreamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website here, and broadcast on radio on The Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129). |
WPCNR THE LETTER TICKER. MARCH 14, 2029:
Andrea Johnston, Chief Operating Officer of Open Table, the national restaurant reservation service reports on the effects of the coronavirus nationwide on the restaurant industry:
“Our thoughts are with you as we all work to navigate this challenging time. As the COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to make headlines, even the best-laid plans are up for last-minute changes. Those changes are hitting restaurants hard as they struggle with the effects of reduced travel and government calls to avoid large gatherings.
Looking at comprehensive data from restaurants on our platform — across online reservations, phone reservations, and walk-ins — we note sharp declines over the last week.
In the United States and United Kingdom, we see a 20 percent reduction in total seated diners vs. last year.
Mexico and Canada are down 15 to 17 percent.
At the city level, diners are down approximately 45 percent in Seattle, 40 percent in San Francisco, 30 percent in New York, and 25 percent in London, Los Angeles, and Chicago.
(All declines cited here are on a year-over-year basis.)
For more insights on the state of the restaurant industry, click here.
To support the restaurants we all love, we’d like to share a few simple things you can do to help your favorite restaurants weather this storm:
Everyone’s health and safety are our first concern. We urge everyone to stay informed (the Centers for Disease Control regularly updates their site) and to take the recommended precautions. If you have questions or concerns about a reservation, ask the restaurant about their specific practices.
I hope all of you stay safe and healthy.
Andrea Johnston