Governor Cuomo Directs Flags To Fly At Half Mast - Beacon Honors The Directive - 14 Died In Dutchess County So Far - 23 Die In One Day In Orange County

Photo Credit: Anthony Ruggiero, City Administrator for the City of Beacon

On April 8, 2020, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed that flags be flown at half-mast “in honor of those we have lost to to COVID-19,” according to his press release. In the Governor’s nightly briefing email, he said: “We continue to mourn the New Yorkers we have lost to this vicious virus. I will issue an Executive Order to bring additional funeral directors to New York to help with the high number of deaths due to COVID-19. There are no words that can express our grief and heartbreak at the lives we have lost. It is a loss to the very fabric of New York.”

Beacon lowered the flags to half mast, as announced by Mayor Lee Kyriacou in a COVID-19 briefing call to residents: “Beacon’s flags are flying at half-staff, as we mourn fellow New Yorkers who have succumbed to COVID-19, which tragically now exceeds 7,000 deaths statewide and 14 here in Dutchess County. We will continue to fly at half-staff during the NYS PAUSE.”

The Dutchess County Impact Dashboard lists the number of deaths as 10 as of today, but the numbers on that dashboard are a bit lower than the New York State tracker. We will take the mayor’s number on this. Home deaths that are likely connected to COVID-19 are also not counted in New York’s reporting system at this time, as first reported by Gothamist. Where the average was 25 people dying at home per day in New York City, the number grew to 280 people who had died in their home by the time the fire department was able to respond, according to NPR.

The mayor also reported that there are 79 “active cases” in Beacon. Today in Dutchess County, 98 new people tested positive for COVID-19, according to the New York State Department of Health Tracker.

In Orange County on Monday, County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced in his daily COVID-19 briefing that that 23 county residents had been lost to COVID-19 in just the last 24 hours.

The Record Online reported this week that cases are expected to grow in this region, saying: “The coronavirus outbreak is taking a more serious toll as it pushes northward in the Hudson Valley, with COVID-19 fatalities in Orange County nearly doubling since Friday and Ulster County warning it could run out of hospital beds this week.”

FINANCE: Debt Collection Removed From "Essential Business" List - Now Non-Essential

The New York State “essentials” vs “non-essentials” list is updated on an ongoing basis. As of yesterday (April 8, 2020), an edit was made to the Financial Services section of the Essential Businesses list. Debt Collection is no longer considered an essential business.

Assemblyperson Jonathan Jacobson’s office today reached out to A Little Beacon Blog about this update, stating: “New York State has issued an updated list of what is and what isn’t considered essential services and explicitly bans debt collection.” Assemblyperson Jacobson’s office gets daily updates from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, with an overview of changes.

Here is the change to the Essential Businesses section:

7. Financial Institutions including

banks or lending institution
insurance
payroll
accounting
services related to financial markets, except debt collection

As of April 9, 2020, this definition is included as guidance for essential vs non-essential businesses on the New York State Coronavirus website: “With respect to business or entities that operate or provide both essential and non-essential services, supplies or support, only those lines and/or business operations that are necessary to support the essential services, supplies, or support are exempt from the workforce reduction restrictions.”

New York Launches First Responders Fund; Blackstone Makes $10M Donation, and $5M Donation To Food Security

During Monday’s daily COVID-19 briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new fund, the First Responders Fund, to assist COVID-19 health care workers and first responders with expenses and costs, including child care. The fund is open to all to contribute to, and is accepting donations.

The first donation announced was a $10 million contribution from Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms who seeks to create positive economic impact and long-term value for their investors, the companies in which they invest, and the communities in which they live and work, according to their website. They serve institutional investors around the world, including retirement systems that represent tens of millions of teachers, firefighters and other pensioners.

A second donation has been made to help with food security. According to Blackstone’s news release: “Additionally, the firm is donating $5 million to organizations providing food security and resources for New Yorkers in need. City Harvest, World Central Kitchen, Great Performances and Slice Out Hunger are all working to provide meals for healthcare workers, first responders and other vulnerable populations. Contributions to our nonprofit partners such as Coalition for the Homeless, Union Settlement and Covenant House New York, among others, have helped provide critical support to at-risk communities affected by COVID-19. You can read the full announcement here.”

To donate, Gov. Cuomo directs you to donate directly through Health Research Incorporated, which you can access here, or by check mailed to "Health Research, Inc., 150 Broadway, Suite 560, Menands, NY 12204." Donors should specify the donation is for "COVID-19 NYS Emergency Response."

According to its website: “Health Research, Inc. (HRI) contributes to the health and well-being of the people of New York State by complementing and enabling the strategic goals of the New York State Department of Health and its partners. Donations to Health Research, Inc. are put to immediate use to further public health and research programs.”

Beacon's City Council Meetings Move To Video-Conference; Public Can Dial In; Live Footage Available

Like all of the Main Street shops who want to stay in touch with people and continue selling to them, the City of Beacon has been making progress in technology as well. Not only can you now pay your water bill online, but Beacon’s City Council meetings have moved to video-conference only, where council members are meeting from their own remote locations.

Each councilperson’s head can be seen on the screen, and the conversation happens from there, with legal updates from the City Attorney, and all of the regular answers from the City Planner regarding zoning. The meeting can be streamed live at a channel on YouTube, and the public can ask questions (when appropriate) by dialing into the number below.

The Video Conference Press Release From The City of Beacon:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that effective immediately and based upon notices and health advisories issued by Federal, State and Local officials related to the COVID-19 virus, the City Council will not hold in-person meetings. Until further notice, all future City Council meetings (including public hearings) will be held via videoconferencing, as permitted by the NYS Open Meetings Law.

Due to public health and safety concerns, the public will not be permitted to attend at the remote locations where the City Council members will be situated. The public, however, will be able to fully observe the video-conference meeting and comment during regular City Council meetings (i.e for public hearings and during designated public comment periods).

To the extent internet access is not available, the public can attend and comment via telephone by dialing 1-929-205-6099 and entering the Webinar ID 285 630 104.

The City Council’s agenda is available online in advance of meetings at http://www.cityofbeacon.org/index.php/agendas- minutes/. The public can email written comments or questions for regular City Council Meetings by 5 pm on the day of the meeting, addressed to cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org.

Any member of the public who has questions should contact the City Administrator in advance of the meeting at (845) 838-5010 or aruggiero@cityofbeacon.org.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that any Executive Session of the Council will be initiated with the Council first convening on the public videoconferencing site, and then adopting a motion to go into Executive Session.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the City Council Meeting of Monday, April 6, 2020 at 7 pm can be accessed live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPpigGwZDeR7WYmw-SuDxg. Please note that there is a 20-second delay on the YouTube Live Stream.

School and Non-Essential Bizes Closed To April 29; Regents Exams Canceled; Fines Doubled for Social Distancing Violations

Today, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered hopeful news that social distancing may be working, as the increase of total number of infections is lower than what was originally projected, as reported in Forbes. As spring approaches, Cuomo encouraged people during his daily briefing to not let up on the social distancing, and increased fines for violations from $500 to $1,000. That includes non-essential gatherings with families who are not in Sphere Lock with each other (like if you get together with good friends, or if you have your cousins over).

Governor Cuomo has been tough yet understanding when it comes to social distancing, letting people figure it out on their own when outside. However, when he witnessed basketball and soccer games continue on a daily basis, as well as social gatherings at kids playgrounds, he warned that they’d need to close them down, in the name of social distancing and the inability to clean the surfaces at the playground. By April 1, the Governor banned basketball games and contact sports.

As quoted in Politico: “I talked about this for weeks. I warned people that if they didn’t stop the density and the games in the playgrounds — you can’t play basketball, you can’t come into contact with each other — that we would close the playgrounds,” Cuomo said. “Use the open space in a park. Walk around, get some sun, great. No density. No basketball games. No close contact. No violation of social distancing, period. That’s the rule.”

When pressed by a reporter today during the briefing on what else the governor could do to curb groups gathering, the governor responded that it is up to the enforcement at local levels.

Fines Increased For Violations of Social Distancing

Possibly more problematic for New York City, the fines for not social distancing were increased from $500 to $1,000. Beaconites have been complying pretty well. It should be noted, that if an area of an open space is crowded, simply find another place, for your own protection.

Regents Exams Canceled

The Board of Regents has canceled the Regents Exams for this year, as announced by Beacon Schools’ Superintendent Matt Landahl.

The Medical Mask Shortage - The Gown Shortage - The PPE Shortage - Despite The Millions Of Donations

Writing about the shortage of masks, gowns, face shields, etc. feels incomprehensible. This is partly because we are hearing about a shortage of masks/gowns/gloves/etc. from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (and any other state governor you listen to), yet the White House announces that companies like Jockey are repositioning themselves to make the masks and the cloth materials. Gov. Cuomo will gratefully acknowledge a donation of “1 million desperately needed surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and China's Consul General Huang Ping.”

Haute Couture Designer Christian Siriano has converted his design shop to making masks for medical workers during the shortage of official CDC grade N95 masks. The CDC issues emergency-grade mask guidelines, and that is what he and other makers are stitching as quickly as possible
Photo Credit: @csiriano

Yet medical professionals in the field just don’t have the masks and are using bandanas and whatever they can find to protect themselves. Even Vogue is writing about it, pointing out that China had temporarily halted production and export of the masks due to their own quarantine issues. Vogue and others are pushing for design companies to shift production to make masks, gowns, etc. Gov. Cuomo is very upset about the China production reality, and brings it up now at daily briefings. New York makers and some Beaconites saw this coming, and started a sewing group to specifically sew masks for medical workers: NY Mask-Makers Supporting Our COVID-19 Avengers! (accepting hospitals) tightly moderated by Rena Leinberger.

Some haute couture designers, like Christian Siriano (former “Project Runway” winner and known for his fantastical designs), have completely turned their U.S. production studios into mask-making factories. A modern English tailoring company, Reeves Bespoke (lives in Beacon! ALBB wrote about them here) has put their team, normally based in Union Square, to work in their homes on their home sewing machines to stitch masks for medical front-liners. The shirt maker Mel Gambert has converted his small shop of 17 people to stitch two types of medical masks.

Ask any medical professional friend of yours, and the answer will be the same. My friend in Maine whose Dad came out of retirement to work the front lines texted me today to say that he still did not have an N95 mask. He started serving two weeks ago. So many masks are used during the course of the day, the demand for them is staggering.

Because of the state of emergency, the CDC has issued approval for others to make masks that follow a set of guidelines, which you can look at here. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine brought up an Ohio company, Battelle Labs, who developed technology for an N95 mask sterilizer machine years ago, that had grown dusty waiting for FDA approval. The machine could have sterilized a single N95 mask 20 times for re-use instead of trash. That approval, after a lot of arm-wrestling, came last week. As reported by WCPO Cincinnati:

“The FDA, after appeals from Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, has approved Columbus-based company Battelle’s new technology to disinfect N95 masks, conceding to the company’s request for permission to clean up to 80,000 masks a day for healthcare professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

”Early Sunday morning, the FDA had given Battelle permission to use the technology, but only to clean 10,000 masks per machine, per day. By contrast, the company was requesting clearance to clean 80,000 masks per machine, per day.

”During a heated press conference Sunday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine called the Food and Drug Administration ‘reckless,’ and asked the agency to allow Battelle Labs to move forward with mask-sterilizing technology.

"‘We have been waiting and waiting and waiting,’ said DeWine. ‘Let us move forward,’ DeWine said, pouding on the podium during his Sunday news conference. ‘We have to protect people on the frontline.’

“‘This has the ability to help,’ Governor DeWine continued. ‘The urgency of getting these online … is not just for Ohioans. It is for the people throughout the country.’”

The FDA eventually did approve the 80,000, and the president did talk about it during a White House briefing. But there are only a handful of machines in the world at the moment. Boston is getting one soon, and is dedicating a vacant former Kmart store to be a location to disinfect the masks.

The Mask Shortage Was Well-Known Among Medical Professionals

Prior to the coronavirus wake-up call, a nurse I talked to in Beacon was already woke to the collapse of the health care system, and knew that the hospital system would be crushed because the United States and hospitals were not prepared with the supplies. Governor Cuomo has been calling for PPE supplies from the beginning - roughly 30 days ago now - and gratefully acknowledges when a donation is announced. The verbal confirmation of that gives a moment of relief. But.

The masks are not in hand as hospitals fill up. New York City hospitals are already full, pushing one of the first overflow hospitals at the Javits Center to open up to COVID-19 patients. Originally, the overflow hospital was reserved for non-COVID-19 patients, but already, the 2,500 beds are needed for COVID-19. “As it turned out,” said Governor Cuomo in his 4/3/2020 briefing, “we don’t have non-COVID people to any great extent in the hospitals. Hospitals have turned into effectively ICU hospitals for COVID patients. We wanted to convert Javits from non-COVID to COVID.” The governor had to push for federal approval on that, since the Javits Center was set up and staffed by federal workers. After a push to the president, the governor got the approval.

This Is How Many N95 Masks Are Needed

To give you an idea of the how large an amount of N95 masks are needed - New York had 53,000 hospital beds, and Governor Cuomo has anticipated needing 113,000 beds. That doesn’t include the ICU beds which accompany the ventilators, used by people who are on in the worst stages of COVID-19. New York State has 3,000 ICU beds, and needs 18,000, but possibly 37,000. Governor Cuomo mandated that elective surgeries stop, and that hospitals get creative with finding room for more beds within their facilities (New York has also purchased a lot more beds to fill the space). And that’s just one state. There are 50 states who are facing this pandemic. Now you see why a donated amount of 1 million masks is amazing, but is a drop in the bucket. And that doesn’t account for gowns, and everything else.

Where Are The Masks?

Reporters during the press briefings are quick to ask if the masks or PPE equipment has shipped, and where it is. Which hospital. Governor Cuomo answers as best he can. Reports at different media outlets will come out, chasing the PPE equipment, and the cycle goes on to figure out how to get enough PPE equipment (masks, gowns, face shields, etc.) This week, the governor announced that the hospitals would be forced to work together, in order to spread the PPE around as needed.

The Makers Get Involved In Mask Making

Enter the Makers. The sewers and stitchers of the world are stitching as fast as their presser feet will sew on their home machines to constantly churn out emergency-medical grade masks for the front line medical workers within their localities. In St. Louis, Dr. Timothy Lancaster, MD Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Barnes Jewish Hospital, whose wife is a friend of mine, was doing something that shocked her: he was “talking via Facebook Messenger Video with a (thorough, thoughtful, very generous) crafter from Missouri” who was doing a deep dive on her research for making the hand-stitched masks - that are not comparable to an N95 mask made with CDC guidelines (as per the Comment below, to make sure this is clear). She is one of many, many crafters around the country making these masks now.

Makers doing this work are fueled by the desire and ability to help. And their maker spheres are filled with adrenaline to help and hopefully impact even one medical worker.

But the sense of systems failing have some angry as they stitch (and you don’t want an angry stitcher). Says one Beaconite who wanted to remain anonymous: “It doesn’t feel good to make them. It feels terrible. I feel awful and it hurts to sit there for hours making them. Our government has failed us and the fact that I, a former costume designer, have had to start making dozens of masks is very frustrating. I get 2-5 inquiries a day to make masks for people. And I say Yes and ask for a donation to Fareground Food + Community instead of payment. But it’s a lot. It takes hours of my day and I admit I have to take breaks. I’m also trying to work my job and take care of my kids at home and cook and clean for 5 people.”

Article on that to come next. But first, you’ll hear from two Beaconites: Josephine Johnston (bioethics researcher) and Katherine Wheeler-Martin (an epidemiologist) on when these homemade masks are acceptable in healthcare settings during crisis situations.

Do You Manufacture Clothing? New York State Is Hiring

Governor Cuomo wants to ramp up production in your production environment. He tweets and says during daily briefings: “We need more supplies. We need your help. If you can manufacture PPE I urge you to do so. New York can offer funding. Email Covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov.”

New Group Created For Quarantined People and Folks Who Need Help: Beacon Mutual Aid

Photo Credit: Logo from the Beacon Mutual Aid website.

The first thoughts of quarantine were scary: How will I get my things? How will I get my groceries? How will I get my special shampoo (admit it - you thought it, and then you remembered that most brands and boutique hair salons are shipping). Beacon Mutual Aid has emerged as a group of volunteers who are helping to connect those dots - your need, and how to make it happen. Help is available in Spanish and English.

Weeks into our Stay-At-Home Life here in Beacon, NY, we have adjusted to new ways of shopping for food (easy Key Food runs for well-stocked and disinfected shelves, Beacon Natural for new curbside pickup and delivery options and new hours, Beacon Farmers Market, open for pre-order and pickup with possible delivery option, Artisan Wine Shop making deliveries, and several of your favorite boutiques making personal deliveries or shipping through the mail.

The deeper thoughts are scarier: What if I get sick? Who will care for my kids if I’m a solo parent? What if I’m too sick to feed myself? How will I get my prescriptions? Grocery delivery via Peapod isn’t as fast or well stocked with brands (two-week wait time is common), so insta-in-person-to-friend requests are faster for getting what you need. Volunteers have offered to help with deliveries, so at this time in Beacon, you are surrounded by help. All you need to do is ask.

While Governor Andrew Cuomo has been trying to address these needs as he leads us to the apex by strongly encouraging that pharmacies deliver medications (a recent agreement 3/29/2020… if you’re hiring delivery people, post your job for free here on A Little Beacon Blog), Beaconites were ahead of the curve.

Beacon Mutual Aid Group Pops Up - To Help Anyone

An example of a request made by a Facebook member of Beacon Mutual Aid, in search of an item for a neighbor.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of Beacon Mutual Aid

Beacon Mutual Aid was spearheaded by Dara Silverman and developed by many, including Virginia Beata, who stepped in to help manage. At first it was based on Facebook, and then grew to have a website so that more people could request help, and has been taking requests for help from anyone who lives in Beacon. The number of volunteers in the group quickly rose from 80 to 200, and now possibly more. According to the website, the concept was based on similar community-need models in other states: “Thank you to Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville, Community Care and Mutual Aid Milwaukee, Mutual Aid Solidarity Network of Seattle and others who are models for this work.”

Requests that come in can be for anything: a grocery request from a quarantined mom who wonders how to do meal pickup (answer: arrange for delivery with the Beacon City School district! email landahl.m@beaconk12.org to sign up for delivery), to a request on behalf of someone’s neighbor who broke their foot and needs a standing wheel scooter.

While people can officially make a request for help from Beacon Mutual Aid via a form on Beacon Mutual Aid’s website, people in-the-know can connect with each other quickly via Facebook to ask questions or put out a request - even on behalf of their neighbor who has no connection to computers or the Internet. But you don’t need to be on Facebook to use the group. You don’t even have to know how to use the Internet to use the group.

“Do I Need To Know Someone To Use The Group?”

The beautiful thing about the group is that it spurs a person to think about their neighbor. While Mayor Lee Kyriacou encourages citizens to check on their neighbors in his COVID-related robo-calls to residents, this group has split into “pods,” where people coordinate with their own neighbors or blocks to be vocal in the group to ask for something on behalf of their neighbor who may have no access to Facebook, or the Internet, or be comfortable with asking others for help at all. You don’t need to have a “pod” to use the group. You can be a random, unaffiliated person in Beacon.

Personally, I have been calling my slightly senior citizen neighbor to ask if she needs grocery pickups. Recently I have been letting my younger (40s) solo neighbor know that should he get sick and have no one there, to text me. Call 911 in an emergency of course, but text me, too. Keep me in the loop for any needs. As for my divorced single mom neighbor, of course she knows I am there for her for anything, but recently, I planted the seed of: “What if your ex-husband gets sick, and we know his parents are too old to physically care for him? Have you considered this scenario, since he lives alone?”

No one wants to feel alone in this quarantined, social-distanced life, and the Beacon Mutual Aid Group has helped aid in that.

How To Use The Beacon Mutual Aid Group

Anyone can use it, and no request is too small. According to Dara’s quote in The Highlands Current, they get a lot of requests for soap and groceries. I personally have used it to find experts in certain fields for quotes and resources for articles here at A Little Beacon Blog. They are also very connected to the handmade mask movement that started weeks ago to address known shortages for masks (yes, Governor Cuomo said today that they did not predict this shortage, but this had been a known fact inside of hospitals if you had any friends who were working the front lines in hospitals, despite the White House saying that shipments were coming from whatever large company contributing to the cause).

Activating Help Within The Beacon Mutual Aid Group

Need something? Fill out this Request For Help form.

Want to offer your help? Fill out this Offers form.

Organize a neighborhood “pod.” Check out the directions and examples here. It even includes a flyer you could print out just to familiarize people with the concept. Paper printouts always ground people. The concept is as follows, from Beacon Mutual Aid’s website:
”As things get harder, we show up for our neighbors. As a neighborhood point person, you’d take on the responsibility of reaching out to your neighbors, checking in on what needs are arising on your block, coordinating a neighborhood group chat or phone tree, and staying in touch with the point people from other neighborhoods for resource pooling. We are trying to build a network of many neighborhood pods across Beacon.”

This may be a new concept for skeptical New Yorkers, who aren’t used to having anyone in their business. Even if you don’t sign up for this, or put in a request, you still could act as a point person for one or two of your neighbors.

Regardless, the Beacon Mutual Aid Group is here for you.

Fill out your request on their website, or if that’s too much, call or email:
beaconmutualaid@gmail.com
(845) 206-9836

Donating To Beacon Mutual Aid

More and more, Beacon Mutual Aid is behind some pretty amazing initiatives. Like Free Groceries at the meal pickups for Beacon City Schools parents. This is huge. It is open for anyone, and targeting those in need. Those of us who have just lost jobs, client projects, and had income freeze, the extra head of lettuce and bag of rice has been a welcome take-home as bills pile up. Says Dara: “All the donations have been used to buy groceries for people who can’t afford them.”

Donate to Beacon Mutual Aid via venmo via mutualaidbeacon, as they tap into farms and other organizations to make this happen. If you don’t have Venmo (as this blogger does not use Venmo) then email them at beaconmutualaid@gmail.com to see how to send a check.

Be well.

4 Die In Dutchess County Thursday; 44 Total Cases In Beacon; Dr. Fauci Says U.S. Is "Actively Considering" Mask Use To Block Own Breath

This evening, Dutchess County sent out its notification that four people had passed today, Thursday 4/2/2020, due to coronavirus complications. Their announcement in full is below. Also this evening, Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Councilperson George Mansfield robocalled with several COVID-19-related announcements, including that Beacon currently has 44 cases of the novel coronavirus. You can track the numbers here at Dutchess County’s Dashboard. Announcements by Dutchess County such as this one may be ahead of the dashboard.

Of today’s deaths, three of the four people who passed were men, and one man was young - 28 years old. All had underlying conditions.

It should also be noted that a letter was issued to the White House today by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences, who stressed that coronavirus can be passed by breathing, or in conversation. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advises the White House, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the U.S. via television appearances, did not disagree, and agreed that the U.S. was considering use of masks for people doing their errands, especially if they don’t know that they have the coronavirus.

The reason for the masks would be to help prevent the virus from leaving your own mouth via droplets to float in the air or onto someone else. If a person is asymptomatic, and doesn’t know that they have it, they might be talking to someone and spread it. Dr. Fauci stresses that the best deterrent is for people to stay 6 feet apart (social distancing). He and the other White House medical advisor, Dr. Deborah Birx, warned today that the use of masks could cause the wearer of a mask to become lax in their social distancing. They may think they are protected/harmless, and will walk near people, and continue to touch their eyes, ears and nose. All points of entries for the virus, despite wearing a mask. This issue is being evaluated currently for an official recommendation of mask-wearing, Dr. Birx said today during the White House briefing, and Dr. Fauci said later on CNN on Anderson Cooper’s show.

In Putnam County, the Putnam County Commissioner of Health has issued a “stay-at-home” order, aka Standing Isolation Order, to people testing positive for coronavirus, according to the Putnam Daily Voice. People face fines of $2,000 for not obeying the order. There are many details to this order, especially concerning whether a person was ill, or is asymptomatic, which you can read about here.

The Dutchess County death briefing is below:

The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed four additional Dutchess County resident deaths relating to COVID-19 as reported by local hospitals and the Dutchess County Medical Examiners Office. All patients had underlying conditions that were risk factors; none were under DBCH monitoring.

Age and gender of the deceased are as follows:

83-year-old female
79-year-old male
82-year-old male
28-year-old male

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Today brings more heartbreaking loss for Dutchess County and we extend our prayers and condolences to the families and friends of these four neighbors. We have a long battle ahead of us and we must all do our part to end this pandemic. Dutchess County Government, healthcare professionals, first responders and other essential workers are fighting on the front line to support those who need health during this crisis. We need the support of every citizen to keep doing their part – stay home; stay healthy; stop the spread.”

Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian said, “Testing is more widely available in our community. If you believe you have symptoms, especially if you have other health risk factors, please contact your primary-care physician to be tested and ensure follow-up monitoring. Just as importantly, for all those who are healthy – stay home to stay healthy and keep others healthy. It is possible to have COVID-19 and not be experiencing symptoms, which is why staying home is critical – so you don’t pass it along to someone with a weaker immune system. Stay home and save lives."

There are now more than 590 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County. There have been a total of nine deaths to date as well as nearly 40 people confirmed as recovered (individuals who have resolved symptoms and are no longer being monitored by DBCH).

5th Dutchess County Resident Dies; Newburgh's VP Of The School Board Dies; 2 Die Within 24 hours In Putnam

Pretty soon the death notices sent by Dutchess County for very precious lives will be coming in even more quickly. We are publishing them here to serve as a reminder to all of us to stay home. It is so hard to do. It is so hard for this blogger to do. But on your toughest day, or a tough day, when you just want to go out there and hug the world, remember these lives that were lost so quickly. Prayers to those cases and passings we hear about via text from friends who are grieving or worried. Keep the faith, stay strong, stay safe, stay home.

Many people of all ages do have underlying conditions, which is what the virus is seizing: cancer, diabetes, heart conditions, asthma. For those who do not have these underlying conditions, the virus still hurts. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s brother, Chris, has the virus and is speaking openly about his symptoms. His daily high fever. His shakes. His hallucinations. Watch his show on CNN from 9 to 10 pm, as he has broadcast from his basement for two nights in a row, and has dedicated the show to the inside and front lines of the virus. And then of course, shut off the TV, the devices, and do things that make you happy. Retail therapy. Reading. Movie. Petting your furry friend. Weeding outside.

The main messaging has been to protect the elderly, but it also needs to get louder that younger people as well are at risk for not having an easy go with the novel coronavirus AKA COVID-19. On Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo closed the state’s public playgrounds because young people were gathering too much. In Beacon, some young people continue to gather for driveway hangouts. Otherwise, Beacon locals have been pretty good about social distancing. Very respectful of each other.

Yesterday, the Record Online published that the VP of the Newburgh School Board, Sue Prokosch, passed away at age 72 due to coronavirus complications. In Putnam County, lohud reported that two people died within the last 24 hours, with 19 people in the hospital with coronavirus, out of a total of 213 cases in Putnam.

In Dutchess County, as of Wednesday (4/1/2020), there are 466 cases.

Here is the message from Dutchess County regarding its fifth confirmed death:

“We implore residents who think they have symptoms of COVID-19 to call their primary-care physician and remain in constant contact to ensure follow-up monitoring can continue. ”

— Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian

The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed the death of a fifth Dutchess County resident related to COVID-19. DBCH confirmed a 68-year-old female died at home today, April 1, 2020. The patient, who had a history of underlying conditions, presented at Vassar Brothers Medical Center's Emergency Room late last week after not feeling well. She returned home and was later informed of a positive COVID-19 result after a test during her hospital visit. The individual had not yet been transferred to DBCH monitoring. Further specific information cannot be provided for privacy reasons.

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “We extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of our Dutchess County neighbor, and we as a community mourn the loss of another resident to this global pandemic. As we released yesterday both countywide coronavirus statistics and information about every local municipality, we remind residents no community has been spared from this virus, reinforcing the message we have spread for weeks: Stay home; stay healthy; stop the spread. As a county, we remain dedicated to fighting the spread of this virus, employing every resource available, and we thank all those — healthcare professionals, first responders, county personnel and others — who have worked tirelessly to protect our residents."

Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian said, “We implore residents who think they have symptoms of COVID-19 to call their primary-care physician and remain in constant contact to ensure follow-up monitoring can continue. As this pandemic continues to affect hundreds in our community, and will impact even more in the coming days and weeks, we must all take an active part in keeping ourselves healthy and saving lives."

As testing in the county expanded last week, there are now more than 460 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County, and the numbers are expected to continue to increase. Staying home remains critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and flattening the curve so as not to overwhelm the local healthcare system and ensure everyone can get the care they need.

Local Fundraiser By Some Littles Raises $3,250 - So Far - Distributed to Main Street Businesses

The silver lining to the pandemic has been the incredible amount of generosity and the giving spirit that has been ignited. Several fundraisers have popped up - this one in a neighborhood in Beacon by a family who wanted to do a Super Bowl pool-style collection. Beacon resident Tom Virgadamo, who is a teacher at Haldane and soccer and baseball coach in Beacon, and his kids collected 100 donations of $30 each. They randomly selected six winners to donate $500 or $250 to various local businesses of their choice. One winner even donated an additional $250 on top.

Said Tom in his Instagram: “We reached out to every location and everyone was extremely appreciative! Six have received payment thus far. Due to an increase in interest, the kids are working on creating an ‘Easter’ themed raffle to continue spreading positivity and hope to your favorite local shops in your community. We plan to raise another $3,000-$6,000 starting Thursday and will end Good Friday,” April 10.

Businesses included Beacon D’Lites, Stinson’s Hub, Beacon Performing Arts Center, B. Hair Studio, The Blushery, Story Screen Beacon, Twins Barbershop, and Utensil.

Interested in giving? Keep it tuned to Tom’s Instagram, @teddybeartommy17 for an announcement.

A Little Beacon Blog has updated our Restaurant Guide with links to GoFundMe campaigns that some restaurants like the Yankee Clipper Diner and Chill have created to raise money. This is a great way to financially reach businesses who are temporarily closed and are not doing delivery.

HEALTH: What Happens When You Call The Dutchess County Coronavirus Hotline? (Food, Transportation, and Volunteer Options)

Several options are available when you call the Dutchess County Coronavirus Hotline. If you are seeking testing, you are advised to call your doctor first. You will need a doctor-prescribed test. If you do not have a doctor, free testing is currently only available to people in high-risk groups, including medical professionals, according to a person working at the New York State Coronavirus Hotline, (845) 486-3555.

HOURS: Open Monday to Sunday, 9 am to 5 pm

If you need help after those hours, you may still call the New York State Coronavirus Hotline. They are there to answer questions, but cannot prescribe you a test. They are very helpful with information.

DUTCHESS COUNTY HOTLINE OPTIONS

When you call the Dutchess County Coronavirus Hotline, the call is also available in Spanish. You can press different buttons to reach the following options. As of 3/31/2020, the following options are available. If you need to:

• Learn more about novel coronavirus and what you can do to protect yourself.

• Reach the COVID-19 call center.

• Obtain food because of the COVID-19 situation, you can find information at this option.

• Find transportation to a pharmacy for pickup and drop-off of prescriptions, a food shopping center, or a doctor’s office or health care center for medical needs only.

• Volunteer for the COVID-19 response.

If you are feeling symptoms of coronavirus, you are encouraged to call your doctor.

4th Coronavirus Death Confirmed In Dutchess County - A 52 Year Old Man

From Dutchess County, via their listserv, Dutchess Delivery:

Fourth COVID-19-Related Death Confirmed in Dutchess County

3/31/2020: The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed the death of a fourth Dutchess County resident relating to COVID-19. DBCH confirmed a 52-year-old male died today, March 31, 2020 at Vassar Brothers Medical Center in Poughkeepsie. The person was admitted to the hospital the previous week with shortness of breath. He was tested for COVID-19 which was confirmed positive. The individual had not been known to DBCH until his hospitalization. Further specific information cannot be provided for privacy reasons.

Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “To the family and friends, we are heartbroken for your loss. To the rest of the residents of Dutchess County, please take this to heart. Stay home. We all have a responsibility to stay healthy in order to protect the most vulnerable among us. As the death toll rises, remember that our smallest actions can be lifesaving, or life-threatening. The death of a fourth neighbor here in Dutchess serves as a harsh reminder that there is nowhere in our County untouched by coronavirus."

County Executive Molinaro continues to ask residents to stay at home to limit community transmission of the virus. When it is absolutely necessary to go out, do so with caution and follow proper social distancing protocol from others by staying at least six feet away and washing hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian said, “We have an incredible team of public health professionals who are working around the clock. We’re coordinating with hospitals, doctor’s offices, testing facilities, schools, local officials to coordinate our efforts. Our department is using every resource available, but we need residents to do their part to assist us in our efforts. To help us protect the safety of every resident, please stay home."

There are now more than 390 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County, over 2,300 tests have been administered, and four deaths related to COVID-19, while many others are beginning to be considered as recovered. All of these numbers are expected to continue to increase, which is why remaining at home is critical to stopping the spread of COVID-19 and flattening the curve, so as not to overwhelm the local healthcare system. Let’s help ensure that everyone can get the care they need.

The Census 2020! In The Middle Of Everything.

The Census is coming… The Census is coming!

Households can respond to the 2020 U.S. Census online, by phone, or by mail through August 14, 2020.

If you have seen the April 1, 2020 date a lot, it is only the reference point by which they are asking you to count from: how many people are living in your house as of April 1, 2020.

The deadline to complete the census is August 14, 2020. Some municipalities have been telling residents that the deadline is April, but the law firm representing the census reached out to A Little Beacon Blog to clarify that. According to Beth McLaughlin, Assistant Account Executive at burson cohn & wolfe: “April 1 is not a deadline, it is Census Day – a reference date to help households know who to count on their census questionnaires. Households can respond to the 2020 Census online, by phone, or by mail through August 14.” You can see a revised schedule of census steps here, in response to COVID-19.

The Census 2020 was doing a big push to get everyone to do it online before the time of the pandemic. Many presentations were made at Beacon’s City Council to educate people, and talk about plans to have free stations at the library and such to get people to fill it out - all of that gone now.

The Census is what gets money to your city. Grants. Money to do things. If there is still money in the federal or state budget after this pandemic (Gov. Cuomo is currently very upset about this, as the federal package to help New York State only included COVID-19 reimbursement money, and nothing, he says, for the rest of the budget, a majority of which is education, he said during today’s and yesterday’s briefings).

The census gets Beacon money via “federal funds to local communities for schools, roads, and other public services” according to the census website, and in past presentations by people at City Council meetings.

Take The Census Online. It’s Easy - Promise

The people who presented at City Council meetings were pushing hard for online submissions. However, you can write in or call in your answers.

Here’s how you do it:

1. To go online, you could use the letter you got in the mail. That has a special code that you’ll type into the website, and it automatically pulls up your address. However, if you don’t have that card, you can find an alternate link below the code boxes where you will be taken to a different page, where you can input your address.

2. Go to the census website: www.my2020census.gov

3. Type in your special code. The website will pull up your address.

4. Don’t have the code? No problem. Click the alternate link below that to be taken to a page to input your address.

5. You begin by putting in your name.

6. You put in the names of other people living in your house. Any type of person who regularly lives in your house should be counted.

7. You’ll put in their names, gender, and nationality.

8. That’s it.

If you’re afraid of telling the government where you live… they already know. So you could just fill this out and be a part of funneling money to Beacon. Results from the 2020 Census will be used to determine the number of seats each state has in Congress and your political representation at all levels of government.

Deadline is August 14, 2020.

Dutchess County To Include COVID-19 Positive Cases Per City/Town + Testing Numbers On Its Website | 3rd Dutchess County Resident Has Passed

County Executive Marcus Molinaro sent a video message to the Dutchess County listserv (aka Dutchess Delivery), announcing that Dutchess County plans to add more data to its coronavirus website, in order to list COVID-19 related numbers per municipality (city, town, etc.). Earlier today, A Little Beacon Blog reported that this information was not included on a website, but that they were considering reorganizing data.

His message, which you can also listen to on the video below:

“Over the last several weeks, we have been telling you a very simple message:

“Stay home. Stay safe. Stop the spread. We know it's hard. But we all must do our part to stop this pandemic.

”Large-scale testing began last week in Dutchess County, with more than 2,000 tests administered so far. As the results of those tests come in, we are seeing, as expected, the number of positive confirmed cases rise, with more than 320 current cases.

”We've also tragically seen our third death from this virus. A stark reminder that we must all remain vigilant in protecting ourselves, and each other.

”While we continue to remind you that the safest approach is to always assume that everyone has coronavirus, you can expect to see a new dashboard on our website soon with more information about the number of confirmed cases in each municipality, countywide testing numbers, and other important information.”

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Yes, There Are Positive COVID-19 Cases In Beacon, Dutchess County Confirms In This Statement

UPDATE 7:30 pm: Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro issued a video announcement that Dutchess County would be including this data on their website “soon.” Get details and watch the video here.

While this seems obvious to most people, there seem to be some people who are waiting for an official answer on whether there are confirmed COVID-19 cases in Beacon. If you have any friends at all, who have access to texts and emails, you will know that this answer is yes, there are confirmed COVID-19 cases in Beacon. But as for an official number on a website, you will not find that web page as of today, 3/30/20.

When the first email came into A Little Beacon Blog of a confirmed coronavirus case being exposed to a facility in Beacon, we emailed the mayor’s office for confirmation. The answer we got was that the City of Beacon was waiting on confirmation from Dutchess County. When a text arrived the next day of a friend who had tested positive for coronavirus, we did not pursue seeking confirmation, nor did we publish it, because it is not an official number.

When a reader wrote in yesterday, asking a similar question, A Little Beacon Blog pursued the question again. The reader asked: “Do you know if there is a town-by-town breakdown of COVID-19 cases in Dutchess County or how we find out that info?”

We reached out to Jean-Marie Niebuhr, coordinator of Prevention and Harm Reduction Services at Dutchess County Department of Behavioral and Community Health, who urged people to visit the New York State website for county-by-county breakdown and encouraged people to call the COVID-19 hotline at (845) 486-3555.

“There are several confirmed cases in Beacon. Every single town, village and city in Dutchess County has been impacted by cases of COVID-19. ”

— Colleen Pillus, communications director for Dutchess County Executive's Office

But that doesn’t answer questions about Beacon specifically. So we asked again. Because some people, who are believers and practicers of social distancing, like my own husband who fears the virus because of his age of 56 and his family history of diabetes, and my and our children’s history of asthma cough, said to me moments prior to me pursuing official confirmation that cases are in Beacon:

“I can’t believe it’s not here (Beacon). Until I hear it officially, I will believe that,” he said.

Jean-Marie connected me with Colleen Pillus, Communications Director of the Dutchess County Executive Office. I asked Colleen one more time:

“Can you do anything to give us these city numbers, as an official count?”

Colleen’s response:

“Not at this time, but I can tell you that the case count by town reflects population density – so there are several confirmed cases in Beacon. Every single town, village and city in Dutchess County has been impacted by cases of COVID-19. There are currently (as of 3/30/2020) no particular hot spots or clusters.”

Dutchess County’s Message In Full About Location Of Coronavirus

Said Colleen in an email to A Little Beacon Blog on 3/30/2020:

“We have been trying to get everyone to understand that coronavirus is everywhere and act accordingly – staying home to stop the spread.

“Too many people think that a given town or area is ‘safe,’ when in reality every single town, village and city in Dutchess County has been impacted by COVID-19.

“The current total confirmed case count for Dutchess County is reported daily on the NYS site here. We have that link on our www.dutchessny.gov/coronavirus website.

“Today’s (3/30/2020) current count of positive cases is 320. I actually had a woman ask about case count because she wanted to monitor it to determine ‘when it was no longer safe to go out’ – It is no longer safe to go out NOW!!

“The important thing to remember is that the case count reflects the known cases – those are the ones you should be least worried about, as those individuals are quarantined and being monitored.

“It is the ones who don’t realize they have it that we have to worry most about. Knowing that one town may have X cases while another town has Y cases makes no difference.

“The message to the public continues to be a very loud – Stay Home! Stay Safe! Stop the Spread! If you must go out, assume everyone has coronavirus or has been in direct contact with someone who has – and be very diligent about personal hygiene – handwashing, not touching your face, and serious social distancing of at least 6-foot radius around you.

”While we will not stray from this messaging – we are looking at reorganizing some data for the public to share later in the week or early next.”

Thank you, Colleen for sharing this information. Social distancing is very hard. Even if you are being strict with it. One constantly needs reminders like these. Myself included.

Confirmed Case In Cold Spring By Haldane Superintendent

According to the Highlands Current, “Haldane announced that a student in the district has a confirmed case of COVID-19. It said the student is resting at home and that the symptoms, which first appeared after schools had been closed, have been mild. “It is inevitable that we will continue to have cases,” said Superintendent Philip Benante in an email to the community. “I will not be able to inform you of each one during our closure; however, I felt it was important to bring this first known case to your attention. It reinforces that our children are vulnerable to this illness and that we must take the necessary precautions as a community to stop its spread.”