Coronavirus

There were no deaths during the previous 24 hours, but 69 people tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the infection rate up to 1.7 percent as Long Island entered phase four of its economic recovery.

"Dumb," "a slap in the face," and "unacceptable" are how Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone characterized reports of revelers flouting public health protocols over the Fourth of July weekend. Despite this, statistics on Covid-19 in the Suffolk are "great," he said.

The owners of two Montauk nightspots and the manager of another were arrested over the July Fourth weekend on low-level charges having to do with alcohol storage and signs — allegations that may lead to more serious consequences.

Kimberly Guilfoyle, the girlfriend of Donald Trump Jr. and the national chairwoman of the Trump Victory Finance Committee, was spotted with the younger Mr. Trump at a cocktail party in Bridgehampton. She tested positive for the virus Friday night while in South Dakota for the president's appearance for Fourth of July festivities at Mount Rushmore.

As this very different Fourth of July weekend begins, East Hampton Town has issued a reminder about regulations still in effect to stop the spread of Covid-19, particularly at its beaches.

The number of positive cases in the county rose by 47, and hospitalizations increased by two. On a brighter note, the number of patients in intensive care units decreased by seven to 19.

This summer, lifeguards are setting an example for the community by wearing masks and ensuring that no crowds gather. This means they have to keep their eyes glued to the water — and also scan the beaches for any large groups. One reporter's story.

In another milestone as Long Island emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, East Hampton Town employees returned to their offices on Monday. The move came as the region progresses through the third of a four-phase reopening following the March shutdown of activity at municipal and commercial sites.

The Sag Harbor Chamber of Commerce has canceled the village’s annual HarborFest fair, scheduled for Sept. 12 and 13, because of the ongoing pandemic.

In the early days of the pandemic, animal shelters like the Animal Rescue Fund of the Hamptons often had to rely on volunteers to foster the animals they had rescued until they could be adopted. Happily, some of those foster homes became permanent homes.

The Covid-19 pandemic has flooded post offices and shipping stores with packages, mail, and new customers, leading to difficult working conditions for employees and long lines for customers. Some postal service staffers have worked seven days a week for 30-plus days and 253 of Long Island's approximately 7,000 postal employees have contracted the virus.

At the onset of the pandemic in early spring, a mad dash of New York City residents seeking an East End refuge led to a surge in rentals, which depleted inventory of all but the most expensive properties. Given what landlords were asking per month, people began to think, "For that money I could carry this house for a year. . . . When we hit that tipping point, the flood gates opened."

The county executive was again able to report zero Covid-19 deaths in a 24-hour period and an infection rate of 1 percent, a relief after reporting on Tuesday that the rate had jumped from .7 percent to 1.4 percent.

There are plans to play the big charity softball game in Herrick Park on Aug. 15, but it is by no means a sure thing. Leading up to it, the two sides will engage in an online competition to see which team can raise the most money for the game's beneficiaries.

The Hamptons Arts Network, a group of 19 nonprofit arts organizations on the South Fork that banded together a few years ago, has been a lifeline for its members during the Covid-19 crisis. Now, the group is directing some of its resources outward to help the creative community around them.

The infection rate rose from .7 percent Monday to 1.4 percent on Tuesday, but the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 was consistent with numbers from the previous several days. For sports fans, there's sad news: Despite the county executive's efforts on its behalf, the Long Island Ducks professional baseball team has canceled its 2020 season.

Other statistics also "continue to look very good," said County Executive Steve Bellone, who reported that Suffolk had an infection rate of .7 percent. "Those are great numbers."

After months of limiting or prohibiting visitors to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital announced on Monday that it will allow hospital visits by family and friends for up to three hours a day, with strict rules.

On Sunday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Covid-19 data are still looking good as Long Island continues the first full week of phase three of N.Y. Forward, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's economic reopening plan.

In mid-April, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Suffolk County was reporting more than 1,000 new cases per day, but on Tuesday reported just 46 new cases. As the infection rate has slowed here, people concerned that they have been exposed to the virus are more likely to be tested at an outpatient lab, clinic, or doctor's office than at a drive-through test site, and the cost for testing can vary. 

Restaurants are allowed to welcome guests indoors now that Long Island has entered phase three of reopening as of Wednesday, but because of safety concerns, several East End eateries are opting to stick with outdoor dining and takeout instead.

It takes more than a pandemic to stop East Hampton's public access television service, which has emerged as an important source of information. 

Many businesses have struggled to survive during the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic shutdown, but one niche industry is witnessing solid sales. Bait and tackle shops around Long Island have seen a significant uptick in business as more people take up fishing as a social distancing pastime.

Nurses and other health care workers lobbying to receive crisis pay from Stony Brook Southampton Hospital and Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital picketed outside the two facilities on Wednesday to make the community aware of their efforts.

On the heels of Long Island entering the third phase of New York's economic recovery plan on Wednesday, effective at midnight, travelers arriving in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey from nine different states must quarantine for 14 days.

The number of people receiving hospital care for Covid-19 in Suffolk County fell to 90 on Sunday, marking the first period since March 22 that there have been fewer than 100 hospitalizations.

Even as the spread of Covid-19 appears increasingly under control in Suffolk, County Executive Steve Bellone said a deepening financial crisis has already led to budget cuts, salary freezes, and even a potential ballot referendum in November.

After a period in which no new Covid-19 cases were seen in East Hampton Town, county figures released on Friday showed an uptick of seven.

County Executive Steve Bellone said on Friday that he had signed executive orders to plan for a day of special observance for Juneteenth beginning next year and to extend the implicit bias training now being received in the police department to all county employees, and for it to be completed in one year.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Thursday that he will sign an executive order allowing the State Liquor Authority to immediately suspend liquor licenses for bars or restaurants found to be violating the state's Covid-19 rules and regulations. A related executive order will make bars responsible for the sidewalk or "outside area immediately in front of their premises."