Suffolk County has surpassed the 5 percent COVID-19 positivity rate two days in a row. The news prompted an announcement from County Executive Steve Bellone, calling on residents to again work together to flatten the curve.
“For the second day in a row, Suffolk’s positivity rate is above 5 percent, an alarming number we have not seen since the spring. With 966 new cases, we are beginning to see the first signs of the post-Thanksgiving holiday surge we had warned about.
“Luckily, we have taken a proactive approach in addressing the second wave of COVID-19,” Bellone said in a statement. “We have been here before, we know how and where this virus spreads, and we have the blueprints needed to once again flatten the curve.”
Bellone said that small gatherings among family and friends “have the highest transmission of all events — more than 65 percent of new cases in the state are being traced back to small gatherings.”
“With some of the most challenging days ahead as we try to navigate the holiday season, now is the time to double down on the common-sense measures that work,” he said. “Social distancing and mask guidelines are essential to beating back this virus and ensuring our hospital system does not get overwhelmed. “
“While a vaccine is on the horizon, our actions these next 30 plus days will be critical to our continued recovery. ”
County-wide, figures reported on Wednesday show 966 new cases, up significantly after rapidly rising through November to more than 600 per day for the past three days.
To date, Suffolk County’s COVID-19 tracking dashboard displays 18 cases of COVID-19 on Shelter Island, with nine since October 9. But local officials say they know of nine others in the past seven weeks not yet included in the official reporting. Read details in this post.
