Mediaboss Marketing

The Northern Arapaho and Eastern Shoshone Tribes are preparing for a possible outbreak of the coronavirus on the Wind River Reservation.

Both tribes' Business Councils say they are working closely with federally-run clinics on the reservation and communicating with state and federal officials. There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 on the Wind River Reservation.

In a resolution released on Wednesday afternoon, the Northern Arapaho Business Council declared a state of emergency, saying that the virus could threaten the safety and well-being of the tribe.

"Until further notice, the NABC authorizes and directs every tribal program director to implement their own coronavirus prevention and response plan without NABC approval," the resolution reads.

Both Business Councils have advised tribal members and employees to follow Centers For Disease Control guidelines for preventing the spread of the virus, including washing their hands frequently, avoiding contact with people who are sick, and staying home if they are sick.

Clinics In Emergency-Preparedness Mode

Tribal leaders estimate that the majority of tribal members living or or near the Wind River Reservation rely on federally-run clinics for their healthcare needs, and that many do not have another form of health insurance.

The Wind River Service Unit in Fort Washakie is operated by the federal Indian Health Service (IHS). The Wind River Cares clinics in Ethete, Arapahoe and Riverton are funded by IHS, but run by the Northern Arapaho Tribe under a 638 self-governance contract. CEO of Wind River Cares Richard Brannan said that arrangement has given his staff some flexibility to prepare for the outbreak by ordering extra supplies a month in advance and drawing up their own treatment protocols.

"We've taken the matter into our own hands. Because of the lack of response by the federal government, we've developed our own plans here in terms of triaging patients, taking care of them and minimizing the spread. We figure there isn't anybody going to come in here and take care of us, so we have to be prepared," Brannan said.

Brannan said that the federal government has a treaty responsibility to provide healthcare on reservations like Wind River, and called on IHS to release emergency funding and resources to reservation clinics and hospitals.

In a statement on Wednesday afternoon, IHS said that "all IHS facilities are capable of testing patients for COVID-19," and that testing would be available to patients free of charge. However, Brannan said that Wind River Cares has requested test kits from the federal government but not yet received them, and that his clinics do not currently have capacity to test for COVID-19. Officials at the Fort Washakie IHS clinic have not yet responded to an interview request about whether the clinic has the ability to test patients.

Wind River Cares' Director of Nursing Michaela Sisneros said the clinic's ability to treat the illness is currently limited.

"Right now we would just screen them through a triage process, ask them if they have a cough or fever, give them symptomatic care and tell them to stay home," Sisneros said.

But Brannan said that a housing crisis on the reservation, and resulting overcrowding in many tribal homes, could make home quarantine orders ineffective.

"In some instances, we have three or four families, 24 to 30 tribal members living in a three bedroom home, and that represents a significant problem in terms of isolating individuals," Brannan said, adding that some tribal members may not have the resources, such as access to reliable transportation, to get themselves to the doctor if they are sick.

According to Councilman John St. Clair, the Eastern Shoshone Business Council has been in communication with officials at the Fort Washakie IHS facility.

"[The meetings] have been encouraging. Even though they are short on resources and understaffed, they are making every effort to try to deal with this," he said.

Travel Restricted, Events Cancelled

Employees of both the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes are currently under travel restrictions enacted by the Business Councils. In a memo to employees on Wednesday, the Northern Arapaho Business Council said work-related travel should be limited to "essential" trips pre-approved by the council. Eastern Shoshone Tribal employees and elected officials were notified of a travel restriction on Thursday.

In an interview last week, while the Eastern Shoshone Business Council was still weighing whether to restrict travel, Councilman John St. Clair said the policy would be intended to protect elders and the immunocompromised.

"It's not only for [the employees] safety, but for the safety of the tribe in case something is brought back here," St. Clair said.

Several community events on the reservation, including an honoring dinner for Wyoming Indian High School's state champion basketball teams and an informational event about the 2020 census, have been cancelled to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In a joint statement from Wind River Cares and the Northern Arapaho Business Council, tribal members were urged not to attend next weekend's Denver March Powwow or similar large gatherings. Hours later, Denver March and Gathering of Nations in New Mexico- two of the largest powwows in the country- were both cancelled.

Visitation at Morning Star Care Center, an elder care facility serving many tribal members in Fort Washakie, has been restricted to protect residents.

"We understand keeping in touch with your family members is important," the center wrote in a statement on Thursday morning. "Please consider using telephone calls, email, text, Skype or other social media. We will continually monitor this restriction and keep in contact with families for when we can allow visitors."

Meanwhile, tribes and tribal leaders throughout our region are implementing emergency plans. The Yankton Sioux Tribe in South Dakota has closed tribal offices for sanitization. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes in Montana have restricted work-related travel for employees. The Yankton and Oglala Sioux Tribes as well as the Navajo Nation have declared states of emergency on their respective reservations.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available. Visit the CDC's website for information on COVID-19 and how not to spread it.

Have a question about this story? Contact the reporter, Savannah Maher, atsmaher4@uwyo.edu.

Visit link:
Wind River Tribes Enact Travel Restrictions, Prepare For The Coronavirus - Wyoming Public Media

Ohio State University suspended in-person classes through March 30. // AP, Angie Wang

Every day for the past week, colleges and universities around the country have made the announcement: in-person classes are cancelled due to fears over the spreading coronavirus.

Ohio State. Harvard. University of Virginia. University of Michigan. Duke. These are just some of the more than 100 universities across the country that are moving classes online.

Lecture halls will be empty. Labs closed. Concerts cancelled. Sports practices called off. Some universities are asking students to go home early for spring break, and if on break now, not to return to campus at all.

A massive shift like this is unprecedented in higher education. It's led to an onslaught of questions for online learning specialists such as Karen Costa.

"I think like many folks there has been a lot of shock and stress on a personal and professional level," Costa says. "My first instinct after that initial shock was how can we get our students and faculty the support that they need to navigate this crisis?"

She has been fielding questions on twitter, giving webinars online, and uploading youtube tutorials, all in hopes of easing this transition which she admits is less than ideal.

"To ask someone to go from a land based course to an online course without any previous online teaching experience is a huge ask and it's not something that can be done overnight," Costa says. "And we're trying to do it overnight."

She has spoken with professors who don't have staff or online systems in place to support the shift.

And Costa worries about the digital divide: if students aren't allowed back on campus some may not have access to reliable internet. As a result, students might drop out.

And online learning isn't for everyone.

"I'm worried about classes being cancelled physically, because me and virtual online learning does not get along," says Ohio State senior Cartier Pitts. "I don't like learning online so it's going to be a rough two weeks."

And much longer than two weeks for some schools. Pitts worries these changes could keep her from graduating on time.

The move has raised other critical questions about campus life: Just how safe is it to have students on campus at all?

"It's worth first thinking about people of college age they are not at great risk of getting severely ill with the virus that causes COVID-19," says Andrew Pavia, chief of pediatric infectious diseases at the university of Utah. "But they can act as tremendous amplifiers of the epidemic. And the behaviors that young people have in college: spending a lot of time close together, intimate contact, sharing food and drink, make the the spread of viruses in that setting a pretty high liklihood."

Pavia says spaces such as dormitories and cafeterias are indeed high-risk environments, but because of the population living there, they're not as risky as, say, a cruise ship.

"Big difference with cruise ships is they tend to have a lot of very vulnerable people," he says. "The population on cruise ships tends to be older and sicker. So you don't have that problem in college dorms. But it is a concrete living setting where it's a lot harder to do good infection control."

But he says evicting students from their dorms altogether carries its own set of risks: some of the students may not have anywhere else to go.

Excerpt from:
The Coronavirus Outbreak And The Challenges Of Online-Only Classes - Houston Public Media

State health officials were notified Friday morning that two more people in Maine have tested presumptively positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said preliminary testing done by MaineHealth in its lab showed both people have the virus.

The state recorded its first presumptive positive case of COVID-19 on Thursday. That patient is a Navy Reservist in her 50s who had recently returned to Androscoggin County from Italy and is now self-isolating at home.

The two new cases are a woman in her 20s, who is being treated in isolation at Maine Medical Center in Portland, and a man in his 50s who was screened at a MaineHealth outpatient clinic in Portland. That man is in self-isolation at home, according to the CDC.

Additional information about the patients including the county in which the man lives may be released Friday afternoon when CDC director Dr. Nirav Shah holds his daily media briefing.

Maine CDC staff and MaineHealth providers have started investigating the patients travel histories under the assumption that the preliminary tests results are presumptive positive.

Nationwide, there have been more than 1,700 confirmed coronavirus cases and 41 deaths. The number of cases across the globe now tops 135,000 and nearly 5,000 deaths.

Maine has tested a total of 86 people for the virus, 65 of whom tested negative with 20 test results still pending, the CDC said Thursday.

MaineHealth, the parent of Maine Medical Center, said Thursday that its NorDx Laboratories in Scarborough has joined with the Maine CDC to boost the states capability to conduct coronavirus tests, speeding up results and improving capacity. The test samples from the two new cases were set to the Maine CDC for review and will require confirmation from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Trump administration on Friday announced a series of steps aimed to boost the availability of coronavirus testing. The Food and Drug Administration has created a 24-hour emergency hotline for laboratories having difficulty getting materials or having issues running tests. Additionally, nearly $1.3 million in federal money will be given to two companies trying to develop rapid COVID-19 tests that could determine within an hour if someone is infected, according to the Washington Post.

MaineHealth officials released a statement Friday morning saying hospital incident command systems have been activated at each of its facilities. The incident command is a group of hospital employees that gather frequently to plan for the onset of a potential disaster, such as a pandemic, blizzard, flooding or a mass shooting. The process is activated when the hospital anticipates an event that could stress its systems.

While it is understandably unsettling to members of the community that this outbreak has come to Maine, we are prepared for this across our system, Dora Ann Mills, MaineHealths chief health improvement officer, said in a statement.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, shortness of breath and lower respiratory distress. Individuals who exhibit those symptoms are advised to contact medical providers before going to a health care facility, where medical providers will decide if a test is warranted.

We should take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, but there is no need to panic, Mills said. As with seasonal flu, there are common-sense steps each of us can take to slow the spread of infection and reduce our chances of getting sick.

Gov. Janet Mills on Thursday announced that the state is recommending but not mandating the cancellation or postponement of all nonessential indoor gatherings of 250 or more people for the next 30 days. While the governor stressed that she is not recommending that schools close, sporting events and other gatherings should be reconsidered. Additionally, all nonessential out-of-state travel for state employees has also been suspended.

Shah said the recommendation against large gatherings is consistent with the social distancing practices such as avoiding shaking hands and maintaining a 6-foot distance from each other that health professionals recommend all Americans practice in order to reduce the risk of broader spread in the community.

Those recommendations have prompted a slew of cancellations in Maine, from sporting events to concerts to Portlands St. Patricks Day parade. The University of Maine System and Bowdoin College are among the growing list of institutions sending students home from campus and transitioning to online-only classes.

Public schools in Maine are responding to the spread of coronavirus by canceling field trips and events and preparing plans for remote learning. Portlands Baxter Academy of Technology and Science announced Thursday it would close the school until further notice and make plans to transition to remote learning by Monday. In Biddeford, volunteers are being asked to stay out of schools temporarily and parents must wait outside to pick up their children.

Nursing homes across Maine have started restricting or banning visitors to protect elderly residents who are particularly vulnerable to coronavirus. Those facilities are also screening employees by asking questions about their respiratory symptoms, recent travel and if they have been in contact with people tested for COVID-19. Some are also taking temperatures of employees and vendors and turning away anyone with a temperature higher than 100.4.

The Maine Principals Association announced Friday that it has delayed the high school spring sports preseason until April 27.

This story will be updated.

Previous

Next

Original post:
Two more presumptive cases of coronavirus in Maine, according to CDC - Press Herald

The coronavirus is a respiratory illness that spreads from person to person. (WYDaily/Courtesy of Unsplash)

The World Health Organization on Wednesday classified the coronavirus (COVID-19) a pandemic.

So far, 17 Virginians (15 in Virginia and 2 in Texas) have tested presumptive positive for the respiratory virus, prompting several colleges to cancel on-campus classes, including the College of William & Mary and Old Dominion University and other universities opted to play their athletic games without fans.

Gov. Ralph Northam on Thursday declared a state of emergency encouraging cities to avoid holding large events. The governor also suspended all out of state travel for state employees.

As the coronavirus spreads across the state, several localities are prepared or already addressing rumors of local cases.

James City County stepped up Wednesday to dispel local rumors with a post on its Twitter.

In a rapidly evolving situation such as COVID-19, its important that the facts are being spread around, Renee Dallman, the countys spokeswoman, said. We dont want people to panic and we want them to arm themselves with the facts.

Dallman said it can be difficult to stop the spread of rumors on social media because that information is shared at such a rapid speed. However, the county is monitoring social media accounts and information reported by residents to ensure any rumors are stopped quickly.

The county has created a web page where residents can find resources for accurate information, such as the Virginia Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Iask the public to help because we need the community in situations like this, Dallman said. If they are hearing rumors, we encourage folks to go to those correct sources of accurate information because its going to take all of us to get through this.

In York County spokeswoman Gail Whittaker said there havent been any reports to her department recently about rumors. She clarified though that she only had information on her particular department but other parts of the countys operations could have received calls about concerns.

Whittaker said when the county does receive calls or messages about coronavirus concerns, residents are directed to reach out to the VDH or CDC for information.

We want everyone to stay healthy and safe and the best way to do that is ensure they are getting the right information to lessen their risk of getting this virus, she said.

Lee Ann Hartmann, spokeswoman for Williamsburg, said the city finds out about rumors through phone calls, people stopping by, social media and colleagues from other jurisdictions.

To my knowledge, we have not received anything, she said.

If the city were to hear about rumors, Hartmann said she would speakwith the city manager, probably send out an e-notify an email message alert to city subscribers and put something on the citys website.

Hartmann said she would talk with other localities and community partners like Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William & Mary to provide a coordinated response.

Right now, Hartmann is directing people to sources like the VDHs website.

The city also has a website addressing the coronavirus.Hartmann said event cancellations will be posted on the front page of the citys main website under the news tab.

We have no cancellations at this time but its an ever changing situation, she said.

In a text message, Kim Lee, spokeswoman for the city, said the city is working closely with the VDH to disseminate accurate information about the coronavirus to the public using the city website, the 311 call center, social media and daily newsletter.

We are relying on and sharing the guidance developed by VDH and the CDC in an effort to ensure consistent messaging to the public about the current situation and what citizens should do and to minimize confusion, she wrote.

Fred Gaskins, marketing manager for Hampton, said the city has not had to deal with rumors about the coronavirus.

The citys response would depend on what the rumors are, what the source was and how far the rumor is spread.

Our goal is to keep citizens safe, Gaskins said.

He said residents can use the citys website and social media pages for information and for local cases to visit the VDHs website. As of right now, Hampton has not canceled events but Gaskins said if anything is canceled, the city will use social media, the city website and news release to alert the public and media outlets.

The VDH was not immediately available for comment.

Always be informed. Click here to get the latest news and information delivered to your inbox

Originally posted here:
Localities on the Peninsula are dispelling rumors about the coronavirus - Williamsburg Yorktown Daily

Southold Town is now home to more confirmed COVID-19 coronavirus cases than any town in Suffolk County, according to County Executive Steve Bellone.

There are now eight residents who have tested positive of a total of 20 countywide, including a total of three Peconic Landing employees.

Meanwhile Riverhead, Greenport, Southold, Mattituck and Oysterponds schools have all closed.

Times Review Media Group will post continued updates as news becomes available here. Continue to scroll below for each update.

Update: Friday 11:30 a.m.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday morning that the state is opening a drive-through testing facility for the coronavirus in New Rochelle the epicenter of the New York outbreak.

The facility, which will test patients by appointment only, will have six lanes of testing where medical staff comes up to a vehicle and performs the swab tests, which will then be tested in a lab. Mr. Cuomo estimated the staff to be able to test patients in 200 cars per day.

The process will take approximately 15 minutes, the governor said.

Its not only faster and easier, its also smarter and safer, Mr. Cuomo said, than a symptomatic person entering a hospitals emergency room facility to seek testing, thus exposing other members of the public and hospital staff.

The governor did say that residents of New Rochelle and vulnerable populations the elderly, and those with underlying immune and respiratory issues will continue to be prioritized for testing.

Northwell Health CEO Michael Dowling said during the press briefing that the facility is unique, but said his organization was working with state officials to be on the frontlines of creativity and innovation.

We will deal with this issue practically and we will win, Mr. Dowling said.

The governor also said the challenge remains not so much in test kits, which are the swabs used on a patient. Those are plentiful. Its a matter of having labs with the capability to then process and test those swabs.

(Update: Friday 9:24 a.m.)

Section XI announced Friday morning that all games and scrimmages have been suspended until April 3. At that time, the situation will be reassessed.

Individual districts can still decide whether to conduct practices.

The first slate of spring sports games were scheduled to begin toward the end of March. The first day of spring sports practice was March 9.

Read more about sports on hold here.

(Update: Friday, 8:45 a.m.)

Three days after ceasing visitation at Suffolk County correctional facilities, Sheriff Earl Toulon announced Friday that volunteer programs at the jails will also be put on hold.

By limiting the number of people entering our facilities, we can better protect our staff, inmates, and the general public from community spread of COVID-19.

The sheriff said there are no confirmed cases within correctional facilities in Suffolk.

(Update: Friday, 8:30 a.m.)

Stony Brook Eastern Long Island Hospital Chief Administrative Officer Paul Connor released a memo Thursday evening detailing proactive measures being taken at the hospital regarding COVID-19 coronavirus.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, all non-hospital personnel will be verbally screened upon entry to the hospital.

Visitation has been significantly halted with no visitors allowed for adult patients, emergency patients and outpatient and ambulatory surgeries, with some exceptions for emergency and surgical patients requiring assistance. Pediatric patients will be allowed one adult visitor.

The hospital also shared links for information.

For updated Coronavirus FAQs and information from Stony Brook experts, visit https://elih.stonybrookmedicine.edu/Coronavirus.

New York Department of Health Website: https://www.health.ny.gov/

(Update: Friday, 6 a.m.)

The coronavirus outbreak has led to heightened awareness and precautions for first responders who are already trained to protect themselves when responding to calls of sick patients.

Mike Caron, assistant chief with the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance Corps, said the process begins with an initial 911 call.

Dispatchers will ask a particular line of questioning to determine if any patients calling 911 are exhibiting signs and symptoms potentially related to the current virus, COVID-19.

The EMS agencies responding are then notified if the call is flagged if theres a potential risk factor, Mr. Caron said.

What Id like to tell everybody is we operate in a constant state of vigilance against any potential threat or come in contact with any pathogen, he said. With the recent outbreak, were taking a few extra precautions. Were reminding our personnel of the importance of hand washing and wearing proper protective equipment, if the need does arise.

Read the full story

(Update: Friday, 6 a.m.)

Members of Southold/Greenport Robotics Team R.I.C.E. 870 were left feeling disappointed Thursday after they traveled on a bus all the way to Rochester for a competition only to be told after they unpacked their equipment that the event had been cancelled.

A group of over 35 students and faculty from the North Fork team climbed aboard a coach bus Wednesday morning and headed to the Rochester Institute of Technology for the regional robotics competition, scheduled March 13 and 14. Last year, the team nailed down a first-place victory and was invited to attend the FIRST Robotics world championship in Detroit, MI.

In high spirits, team members traveled from their hotel to RITS Gordon Field House Thursday morning and unloaded the robot, only to be informed the regularly scheduled practice had been cancelled. That was followed by word that the entire event the 2020 Finger Lakes Regional FIRST Robotics Competition was cancelled as a precautionary measure in the wake of the coronavirus.

Read the full story

(Update: Thursday, 10 p.m.)

The Mattituck School District and Oysterponds schools both announced they will be closed Friday and Monday.

(Update: Thursday, 4:23 p.m.)

Southold Town buildings will be closed to the public effective 4 p.m. Thursday and a State of Emergency goes into effect, Supervisor Scott Russell announced. All public meetings, hearings and town-sponsored programs are also canceled until further notice. Various departments can be accessed by phone or email.

Residents who are sick are urged to stay home for their own safety and safety of others.

Mr. Russell said since the first diagnosis was in Southold Town, it was inevitable that infections would spread faster than in other towns.

The state of emergency gives the town authority to act in what they believe is the publics best interest, including seizure of supplies and equipment, imposing policy on public assembly and sets aside procurement and bidding policy of New York State, he said. He added that restricting public assembly would only be done if absolutely necessary.

(Update: Thursday, 4:13 p.m.)

Two additional employees at Peconic Landing has been diagnosed with COVID-19, bringing the total to three, the retirement community announced Thursday afternoon.

The Suffolk County Department of Health notified Peconic Landing Thursday morning of the positive tests. The health department is undergoing an investigation to identify individuals who may have had direct contact with the employees. They will be contacted directly by the health department.

As a cautionary measure, we are suspending outside visitation until further notice, the notice from Peconic Landing said. We are not under quarantine. We are, however, identifying additional opportunities to protect our members and employees safety and well-being.

At this time, our focus is on ensuring the safety and well-being of our members and our employees. We are communicating all updates to our members and employees via a multitude of internal communication channels. We will be providing on-going updates via our webpage and social media channels for families, media and the greater community.

A per-diem employee at Peconic Landing was the second confirmed case in Suffolk County and that was announced Tuesday night. At least eight confirmed cases in Suffolk are among the 20 countywide total.

Update: Thursday 2:45 p.m.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said were in a public health emergency at his Thursday afternoon media briefing, where he outlined a variety of actions the state will take in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus and treat the growing number of people infected.

Here are some of the key takeaways:

328 residents are now infected across the state, including 112 new cases.

A total of 2,314 individuals have been tested for the virus across New York state.

The state is contracting with national labs in an effort to increase the number of tests to 5,000 per day by next week.

Broadway is being effectively shut down due to a ban on gatherings at gathering spaces with 500 or more seats.

The state is considering canceling elective surgeries to free up 25 to 35 percent of the hospital beds across New York.

Retired doctors and nurses are being urged to contact their former hospitals and medical practices to work on an on-call basis if needed.

(Update: Thursday 2:10 p.m.)

The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Suffolk County doubled from Wednesday into Thursday as more test results come in, County Executive Steve Bellone said at a media briefing Thursday. Gov. Cuomo later clarified the total Suffolk County number as 20.

Eight of those cases are in Southold Town.

Mr. Bellone also announced a State of Emergency in Suffolk County, which will allow for the government to more quickly respond with purchasing of supplies like sanitizer, protective gear and to move employees where staffing needs are required.

Ten of the people with a confirmed diagnosis remain hospitalized and in mandatory isolation. Six others are in mandatory isolation at home.

Investigators have begun a thorough analysis looking at patients contacts and it is believed these cases, each of the 16, were contacted in community transmission, Mr. Bellone said.

An additional 49 people are under mandatory quarantine, the county executive said. Another 76 people are being monitored under precautionary quarantine and those are travel related cases. Those people remain asymptomatic.

Mr. Bellone also announced that the health commissioner recommended all St. Patricks Day parades over the weekend be postponed. Organizers of the Cutchogue St. Patricks Day Parade had already announced a cancelation earlier Thursday. The county will also not issue any mass gathering permits for events with more than 5,000 people. The county typically issues about 25 in a year.

Weve been in contact with each of our towns, he said. We remain in close contact with local officials as well as school superintendents. Weve spoken to them about senior programs and services provided and recommended they alter operations to encourage social distancing.

As the virus continues to spread, we need to remind the public that were going to get through this, were going to get over this. We will ultimately come out in a good way.

The situation remains fluid, but people should not panic, he added.

(Update: Thursday 12:48 p.m.)

New York State is taking testing for the novel coronavirus into its own hands.

During a press briefing Wednesday afternoon, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that New York State will contract with 28 private laboratories to increase testing capacity.

Our testing capacity is nowhere near what it needs to be, the governor said Wednesday, pointing out that countries like China, where the virus originated, had been processing up to 200,000 tests per day. To date, Gov. Cuomo said, there have been just 5,000 tests performed nationwide.

What changed the trajectory of the incline of the number of caseswas a tremendous amount of testing and investigation, he said.

The 28 private labs, Gov. Cuomo said, specialize in virology and have experience working with the New York State Department of Health.

The labs will require some approvals from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which could complicate the situation, the governor said, emphasizing the urgency of ramping up testing efforts in order to contain the spread.

Were not in a position where we can rely on the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] or the FDA to manage this testing protocol, he said.

Meanwhile, Northwell Health Labs in Lake Success has now begun semi-automated testing for COVID-19 that will dramatically increase the speed of testing and results back to the patient. Manual testing began at the Northwell lab on Sunday night that saw 133 tests completed by midweek. The FDA Tuesday issued an emergency use authorization for automated testing, which spokesperson Terry Lynam said will allow for 150 tests per day to be conducted, with the results sent back to the provider almost immediately.

By comparison, manual testing in a lab can handle about 60-70 lab tests a day. Mr. Lynam said by the weekend, the semi-automated system will allow for up to 500 a day and they are expecting to be fully automated by next week, when they will be able to do 2,000 a day. They are the first facility on Long Island to implement this system.

Though efforts are being made to expand testing capability, County Executive Steve Bellone said Wednesday that people should not have an expectation that if they are felling ill, they will automatically be tested for the coronavirus. Tests will be done based on specific CDC guidelines, he said.

Northwell officials said testing will continue to be reserved for those at risk for severe disease or those who have had confirmed close contact with an infected person.

Only people who meet that criteria will be tested, and that testing is currently being performed at hospital emergency departments and urgent care centers, said John DAngelo, MD, chair of emergency medicine at Northwell, in a statement. Even as our testing capacity increases, we will continue to screen people judiciously so we can focus our attention on those most at risk for severe COVID-19 infection who require more immediate and intensive medical attention. All others who are concerned about exposure but who have mild or no symptoms should recuperate at home.

What to do if youre symptomatic:

Practice social distancing and isolate at home if youre feeling ill. Avoid public areas and large gatherings.

Monitor yourself for symptoms, which include fever, cough and shortness of breath, for a 14-day period.

Alert your healthcare provider, who will guide you in your next steps. But seek immediate medical attention if your conditions are worsening or if you have difficulty breathing.

Call the state coronavirus hotline: 1-888-364-3065 for information about the virus, or Suffolk County 311.

(Update: Thursday, 12:09 p.m.)

Southold Superintendent David Gamberg said the Southold School District will be closed Friday and Monday. There has been no positive COVID-19 case in the district, he said.

This is out of an abundance of caution and will allow the District to complete a deep, thorough cleaning of the buildings. We will remain in constant contact with the Suffolk County Department of Health, Mr. Gamberg said in a statement.

I will continue to keep staff and families apprised of any additional information we receive.Please continue to check the District Website, social media, email, etc. for next steps after Monday, March 16th.

Thank you and have a good afternoon.

As of now, Greenport remains on schedule to reopen Monday.

(Update: 10:22 a.m.)

Read the original here:
Coronavirus on North Fork: Live updates from Times Review Media Group - The Suffolk Times - Suffolk Times