Coronavirus

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."

After getting permission for outdoor dining from state and local officials, East End restaurants are finding creative ways to make room for as many customers as possible this summer.

Southampton Town reopened its playgrounds and skate parks on Thursday after months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The reopening was made possible after an adjustment to the state's phase two guidelines.

The town will follow the Center for Disease Control's safety protocols and visitors must wear face coverings and adhere to the six-feet social distance requirements.  

Local officials appeared perplexed this week by Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's concerns that public safety requirements were not being enforced on the South Fork.

As school ends, it's uncertain whether many camps here will open at all and what they will look like even if they do. Camp directors are looking to remake the experience while retaining what makes it special.

When Long Island enters phase three of reopening, which is expected on Wednesday, East End spas will be back in business, and they’re prepared to offer treatments ranging from massages to colonics with new protocols designed to give clients peace of mind. 

On Monday evening, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman released a letter sent to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in response his concerns that public safety requirements were not being enforced in the Hamptons.

Despite seven deaths from Covid-19 over the 24-hour period ending June 13, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said on Monday that other metrics continue trending in the right direction as Long Island moves toward the third of a four-phase resumption of activity.

New measures will mandate tracking of race and ethnicity in all arrest data, and require "officers to report any weapons discharge within six hours" and to "provide mental and medical help for any person under arrest or any person in custody when they require it."

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said on Sunday that the state received 25,000 complaints about social distancing violations at businesses, mostly at bars and restaurants, with Manhattan and the Hamptons leading the way.

East Hampton Town is now accepting applications from restaurants and food stores to use public and private property for temporary outdoor dining.

Rather than be forced to operate on a contingency budget if their spending plans fail to pass a first vote next week, school districts in New York will now have a second chance to put their budgets before voters.

It was the first time since March 16 that no one in the county had died of the virus. Hospitalizations were also down, and given positive trends, the county executive said he has been lobbying the state to allow cultural institutions to open sooner.

The facility that cared for the county's first coronavirus patient and had dozens at the peak, expects to have fewer than 10 this week and is ready to get back to some sense of normalcy.

East Hampton Town is considering a plan to temporarily change traffic circulation on several streets in Montauk's downtown and close a segment of Main Street to vehicles one day a week in an effort to create more open space for pedestrians and cyclists and to encourage social distancing.

South Fork restaurants with existing outdoor spaces began welcoming guests on Wednesday, and those without were working with town and village governments to set up temporary open-air outposts.

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Ina Garten was already looking out for the welfare of her two million-plus Instagram followers. “Hunkering down at home with Jeffrey and a few overnight Belgian waffles for dinner,” she wrote under a photo of a fluffy, syrup-soaked waffle topped with bananas.

The First Baptist Church of Bridgehampton has seen a huge jump in worshippers as the Rev. Tisha Williams embraces the virtual space with online services on YouTube and Zoom Bible study.

New sectors of economy reopened Wednesday as Covid-19 impacts continue to subside. In-store retail, salons, professional offices, and car dealerships are among the businesses that are now cleared to operate.

A new drive-up and walk-up Covid-19 testing site will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with the first two hours reserved for members of the Montauk Chamber of Commerce.

Un nuevo centro de testeo para Covid-19, accesible a peatones y autos (drive-thru), abrirá el martes que viene en la escuela de Montauk (Montauk School), según un comunicado de la Cámara de Comercio de Montauk (Montauk Chamber of Commerce).

With the ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos serving as referee and announcer, the live-streamed match at the South Fork Country Club in Amagansett brought in more than twice what the pantries' fund-raisers normally reap in a year.

Amid widespread worries over absentee ballots making their way in time to school districts for budget votes and board elections this year, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo on Sunday signed an executive order extending the deadline for districts to receive them by mail from June 9 to June 16.

The Hampton Classic Horse Show would have marked its 45th anniversary this summer, but on Friday the show's organizers announced its cancellation because of safety precautions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

El fin de semana largo, del Día de los Caídos, marcó la reapertura del mercado de Sag Harbor, mientras que el mercado de Springs se inauguró el sábado pasado, y el de Montauk reabrirá el jueves que viene.

Live, in-person graduation ceremonies and professional baseball with fans in seats may happen this summer, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said on Friday, as Covid-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths continue to trend downward in the county.

Southampton Town will reopen its Town Hall on Monday after it was closed for several weeks during the shutdown. The hours will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Montauk School is being considered as a potential location for a Covid-19 testing site that would be fully funded by Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.

The county had just one death from Covid-19 in the past 24 hours, but the news is less positive on the fiscal front as it anticipates a $590 million deficit this year alone.

Shopkeepers in the village are hoping to recapture lost customers with curbside pickup, but in the words of one, it's been "more of a trickle than a river."