The number of Covid-19 patients in Suffolk County hospitals dropped significantly Wednesday after a two-day rise, down 62, according to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.
Speaking at a his daily briefing on Wednesday, he said he hoped "this is not an anomaly and the downward trend will continue." On Monday, the number had increased by 4 and on Tuesday, the number grew to 18, which "was a cause for real concern," he said.
Wednesday's decrease brought the total number of hospitalizations to below 800 for the first time in many weeks, he said, to 733. The number of patients in intensive care units in the county dropped by 15 for a total of 295 people still receiving intensive care.
There are 814 hospital beds and 184 I.C.U. beds available in the county. The county's capacity for both types of beds is hovering around or just above the 70-percent mark that is required to begin reopening the county. Mr. Bellone said he was "confident this is a metric we'll be able to hit as we reopen," even as elective surgeries are factored back into those numbers. He added that if necessary, beds will be added to make sure county hospital capacity can stay that range.
New confirmed cases of the virus rose by 733 to a total of 38,985, which includes 2,938 positive antibody tests, for residents who did not have a previous diagnostic test. Speaking of the continued increases in the state on Wednesday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the number of new cases is still problematic.
Although portions of New York State will likely reopen after Mr. Cuomo's PAUSE order expires on Friday, May 15, Mr. Bellone said he expected the governor would extend some of the order's limitations in places harder hit by the virus, such as Long Island. He added that the governor would likely make an announcement soon with the state's plans for each area.
Given the number of scams that have proliferated as a result of the coronavirus and the programs put in place to address the resulting economic stress on the country, Mr. Bellone said the county's Police Department had launched a dedicated phone line to report scams. The new number is 631-852-SCAM (7226). He warned residents to be alert to fraud. "If someone calls asking you for to send money, check with a relative or the authorities before doing anything." The line will be operating seven days from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.