A new case reported Christmas Eve means the COVID-19 count on Shelter Island is at 24. That’s according to official figures posted on the county’s coronavirus tracker, but local officials say they know of about a dozen more.
The official data, reported on Saturday, reflect information as of Friday, December 25. Last week, Town officials said they knew of additional cases not included in the county reporting.
The difference is believed to be due partly to a flaw in the data recording system at the state level that rejects PO boxes as addresses. Shelter Island residents rely on PO boxes for mail delivery. The ‘missing’ cases may be among the more than 3,800 reported countywide as Township Unknown.
Councilwoman Amber Brach-Williams noted at last Tuesday’s Town Board meeting that two-thirds of the known cases on Shelter Island have been recorded since mid-October, and are part of a surge in cases throughout the East End. She cautioned Islanders that receiving a negative test result is “not a passport” to forego regulations about mask-wearing, social distancing, and gatherings outside the household.
“Bear in mind your COVID test is a snapshot of that day,” she said. A person who tests negative may have been exposed but is not yet shedding the virus. Supervisor Gerry Siller, who had joined Brach-Williams and Shelter Island Police Chief James Read on a call with county health officials and hospital administrators earlier, said he empathizes with people who want to visit family and friends over the holidays.
“But I’d rather give up one holiday season now instead of giving up all of my holiday seasons in the future,” he said. “We can’t emphasize enough how careful we all have to be.”
Latest official figures
Countywide, another 1,272 new cases were reported as of December 25. That brings the cumulative count in Suffolk County to 89,257 since March. The death toll, which includes two Island residents who died in the spring, rose to 2,243, including 7 in the previous 24 hours.
The positivity rate remains high; 7.2 percent of those tested in Suffolk County returned a positive result; the 7-day rolling average was 7.2 percent. This is up from 3.1 percent a month ago.
In all, 622 people were in hospitals throughout Suffolk County on Friday, with 71 new admissions in 24 hours. Hospitals have expanded capacity, adding about 260 beds since the beginning of the month. Of the 3,181 beds, about 1,000 (31 percent) were available Friday.
The county does not break out reporting by the hospital. Town officials say hospitals on the East End are now accepting patients from the western part of the county, where case counts are much higher. This is part of patient load-balancing called for by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo in an effort to keep hospitals from becoming overwhelmed.
Countywide, 98 patients required treatment in an intensive care unit on Friday, no change from the day before. Of Suffolk County’s 428 ICU beds, 127 were available, or about 30 percent. Hospitals have expanded ICU capacity by about 50 beds since early December under the governor’s orders.
Reporting local cases
If you have questions or concerns about COVID-19, contact Suffolk County’s emergency hotline by dialing 311. You can also check the Town website, which has helpful links including local testing sites.
If you are residing on Shelter Island and test positive for COVID-19, Town officials ask that you report the information in confidence to the local police department using the non-emergency number, 631-749-0600. The information is useful in planning for emergency responses that may be required.
Shelter Island School, now closed for the holiday break, has reported three instances of positive COVID-19 tests this month — two staff members and one student. In each instance, the school reported the news to the school community by phone and email and posted information on its Facebook page.
The school, one of just two Pre-K to 12 districts in Suffolk County to remain open for full-time in-person learning this fall, shifted to remote learning for one day after the Thanksgiving break when a staff member reported receiving a positive test the evening before school was to reopen.
