Coronavirus infections are surging in Suffolk County and people are primarily contracting the virus at small indoor gatherings. Based on the timing of the surge and contact tracing efforts, "We think the current spike is related to Halloween parties," County Executive Steve Bellone said this week.
School districts are using online surveys to gauge how their families are feeling about school attendance and whether they prefer in-person, remote, or hybrid learning. Their answers will help shape the coming months.
With the number of Covid-19 cases in New York growing at a faster rate than at any point since the spring, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Wednesday that all New York State Liquor Authority-licensed establishments and gyms must close at 10 p.m. and that private gatherings in residences, whether inside or out, will be limited to no more than 10 people.
Suffolk County's Covid-19 positive rate has been creeping upward in recent weeks, and on Sunday hit 3.8 percent, the highest seen in months, with 324 people testing positive for the virus.
With Suffolk County reporting a steady increase in the Covid-19 positivity rate, East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen announced on Monday that Village Hall will be closed to the public starting Thursday and through the end of the year.
By Monday morning, South Fork school districts had reported three more cases of Covid-19 diagnosed since Friday. The affected districts are Montauk, Sag Harbor, and East Hampton.
Two entire classrooms of children at the John M. Marshall Elementary School are in quarantine through Nov. 19 after two cases of Covid-19 were confirmed among fifth-grade students this week. Additionally, two more cases have been diagnosed among East Hampton High School students, and one among the support staff at the Wainscott School.
The Suffolk County Health Department traced a cluster of Covid-19 infections to the early voting site at the Stony Brook Southampton campus, County Executive Steve Bellone said in press briefing on Wednesday.
The Bridgehampton School on Friday afternoon announced that a staff member had tested positive for Covid-19 earlier in the day. That staff member was most recently at school on Thursday, according to a message from Michael Miller, the school's principal.
The Bay Street Theater said on Friday that it will create a new home at the site of the West Water Street Shops in Sag Harbor with multiple theaters and educational facilities in addition to outdoor and dedicated public space to be completed in 2023.
