Mayor's Message about Covid-19 Update #14 April 8, 2020
Posted on: April 8, 2020 - 8:48pm
Hi everyone,
This morning I heard the sad news that Renata Maas (86), a long-time resident of the Village, passed away during the night from complications related to Covid-19. Renata had lived on Villard since the 1960s and she and her husband brought up their children here. Her son Andrew told me that she loved Hastings and sang the praises of the Village to anyone who would listen. In honor of Renata, and all the other victims of this ghastly virus here in our Village, in Westchester, in New York State and around the world, we have been flying our flags at half-mast. Our prayers go out to their families.
Cases in Hastings-on-Hudson: Grappling with the Numbers
As of today, there are 44 official cases of Covid-19 in the Village. We’ve been sending you the full set of County numbers as they are released, but as I’ve explained in the past, there are serious issues with the numbers we’ve been given. Perhaps the most significant is the huge number of positive Westchester cases that are not assigned to any municipality. To put this in perspective, in Westchester there are about 7,220 confirmed cases assigned to municipalities and 7,700 (more than double) that are not assigned. This means that in theory, if all the unassigned cases were distributed evenly around the County, our figures would also be double the reported numbers. But there is no way of telling, and right now, the only thing we know with certainty is that the official numbers underestimate the true story.
Beyond the County, like many of you, the sources I rely on for data are the Johns Hopkins Corona Virus Resource Center and the NYSDOH tracker. Some people have started to interpret the New York statistics with a narrative that suggests the infections are leveling off. This analysis is incredibly attractive as we begin to dare to imagine an exit from this interminable waiting. While I would dearly love for these theories to be true, I am deeply concerned that it will encourage people to shift behavior from what we know to work. For now, the message remains: "Act as if you have been exposed, stay home, and monitor for symptoms," and “Act as if everyone else has the virus.” In places where vigilance was relaxed too quickly we are seeing a new rise in cases … The next few weeks will be critical, so please keep up the good practices we have developed together.
Masks4All
There is an ongoing debate about whether wearing masks makes a difference or not. The growing consensus is that masks save lives. The Czechs have taken this to a new level – they frame it like this: “I protect you and you protect me.” The CDC notes that a cloth face covering, such as a home-made mask, a bandana or a neck warmer pulled over your mouth and nose, can be effective. Here are some useful FAQs on masks. We are encouraging everyone to wear some type of face covering when you go outside to run errands or take a walk. Now is the time to indulge your inner pirate!
Procuring PPE
This past week I spent a lot of time procuring the needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for our first responders – the Fire/EMS team, the police and our DPW workers. Several residents have been very helpful in providing leads to reliable suppliers and I’m grateful to everyone who reached out. We’ve successfully replenished our supplies but we still need a half dozen adult size bag valve respirators if anyone has access to some. We anticipate needing more supplies before too long so please keep the ideas and connections coming.
Thanking Our Front Line Workers: 7pm Every Night!
If you haven’t already, please make a point of thanking all our front line workers – our healthcare providers, our home helpers, our grocery workers, our delivery people, our mail carriers, our farmers market vendors, our restaurant workers, our cleaners, our teachers, our municipal workers, our Fire Department/EMS team, our Police, our DPW team and all the unsung heroes of this pandemic. Some people are expressing their thanks by writing letters or sending emails. On Mt. Hope just above Rosedale tucked among the flowers are signs thanking front line workers. Friends on the Upper West side have told us that at precisely 7 pm, there is a joyful outburst of claps, cheers, hoots, whistles, shouts, singing, hollering, and banging on pots and pans. It’s a nightly tradition that is a tribute to all those who have put their lives on the line to keep the city going and to keep everyone safe. People have been participating all around the world and there is a crew that started it up in Hastings too (see #ClapBecauseWeCare or #ClapForOurCarers). All of these gestures are lovely and are deeply appreciated.
Covid-19 Resource Guide
Our Congressman Eliot Engle has provided us with a consolidated booklet of resources which I hope you will find useful – you can find it on our website HERE.
Acts of Kindness #14:
Afya Foundation, a local not-for-profit that provides medical supplies to developing countries, has decided to refocus closer to home and is now providing much needed PPE to hospitals and community agencies in the New York area. You can learn more about its efforts and how you can contribute HERE. There have also been many generous offers from residents for our First Responders - one person wrote saying: “I have about 200 surgical masks that I would like to donate for the first responders and essential workers, if still needed.” These gestures are so, so important. Thanks to everyone for making a difference.
In case you are looking for them, all the resources from the bottom of prior Mayor’s Messages have been consolidated HERE, including the information related to getting tested as well as information about the drive through test site at Westchester Medical Center.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have specific questions, concerns or stories to share: mayor@hastingsgov.org
Sincerely,
Nicola Armacost
Mayor