Mayor's Message about Covid-19 Update #7 March 17, 2020

Hi everyone,

Explanation of State of Emergency Declaration

I am so sorry that our State of Emergency email went out without an explanation attached to it. Many of you have asked what it means and I wanted to reassure you that the primary goal is to ensure that once the crisis is over we are able to access federal funding should it become available. It turns out we are one of the last of the Rivertowns to make this declaration. We now have the procedural elements in place to help us better mitigate the economic effects of the crisis. Also, the Declaration provides a framework for the Village to issue a specific order if we deem it is necessary (so far we have not issued any orders). As you are aware, the State and County governments have both declared a State of Emergency and have issued orders about business closures, public gatherings etc. In compliance with the State and County orders we have developed a set of protocols that can be found on the Village website HERE.

Gratitude

Thanks to each of you for your messages of encouragement, your concern, your support and your good wishes. And thanks to all of you who have stepped up to help in one way or another. But most of all, I want to thank the courageous people who have contacted us to tell us that they are members of families that have been exposed directly to the virus and who are self-quarantining. At the end of the day, you will be the ones who will have done the most to protect the rest of the community.

WHO Message: Test, Isolate and Contact Trace

The urgent message from the World Health Organization (WHO) is that while social distancing is incredibly important, the most critical thing is to test and isolate people who have become infected, and then to contact trace. For those of you who are wondering what “contact tracing” is, it means tracing back your contacts over the past 14 days to establish exposure.

We applaud the job that higher levels of government are doing in conducting tests, confirming cases and notifying municipalities, but because the process of testing, confirming and notifying is so time consuming, there is a lag between onset of the disease and notice. In our observation it can be two days. What this means is that in the intervening time period more people can become exposed (which in turn is why social distancing is so important). And so I am making this urgent request – if you suspect an infection in your family do what the families of the first people infected in our Village have done: immediately self-quarantine and begin the process of “contact tracing”. Please don’t wait to be told to self-quarantine as it may take time to test and notify you of what you need to do. And please do start contact tracing (which means tracing back your contacts over the past 14 days) so that when you are eventually tested, if you test positive, you have the necessary information readily available. I have begun keeping a list of places I have visited and people I have been in contact with – it’s become a type of “virus diary” as ghastly as that sounds.

Finally, and of course this is entirely voluntary, please notify our First Responders so they are properly protected when they come to provide assistance. We have been informed that many Fire Department/EMS Companies in New York City are in quarantine because their members were not properly informed prior to assisting a resident who was infected. We simply cannot afford to have that happen to our Fire/EMS team. We have established a confidential hotline phone 914-231-8988 and email hohquarantine@hastingsgov.org so residents who are affected can notify Police Chief David Dosin and Fire Chief John Lindner of their condition.

If you have been quarantined please let us know and, please, please follow the directions you were given – we are all counting on you!

Some of you are probably thinking, “Social distancing is the most important thing, I am doing a great job at that and this other stuff is not necessary”. For those of you who feel that way, please listen to THIS from the WHO.

Social Distancing

Many of you have written to me about the importance of social distancing. We absolutely agree and have instituted a number of measures to promote social distancing that are described in previous Mayor’s Messages and which you can see HERE. Also note the following:

Playgrounds/Basketball Courts: we closed playgrounds in parks and also closed the basketball courts.
Restaurants and Bars: we notified local restaurants and bars that the Governor has mandated that all restaurants and bars must be closed for in house dining as of yesterday at 8 pm, however, they are authorized to provide take out services. Gyms have also been asked to close and expect other businesses will be asked to close soon.
Village Elections: the Governor authorized the cancellation of Village elections until the April 28 primary.
Village Courts: our Court has suspended all non-essential court functions until further notice (see HERE for more details).
Private Gatherings: please use good judgment about social gatherings – err on the side of ultra cautious, re-think play dates, restrict young adults/teenagers from gathering in groups, re-consider how you interact with the elderly and one another. Basically avoid unnecessary contact, and work out new ways to be social and conduct business. Think about people who are already more isolated than you because of sickness or age and what you can do for them (see Acts of Kindness #5 for one idea). I know this sounds draconian.

Acts of Kindness #5:

The act of kindness I want to share today relates to supporting our seniors. Thanks to the efforts coordinated by our Senior Advocate Anne Russak, Lisa O’Reilly from our Parks and Recreation Department and Trustee Lopez, we have reached out to more than 130 seniors to check in on how they are and if they have what they need. Here is a snippet from a response to this effort from a couple that was contacted:

“My wife and I are 73 and 72. Today, I got a call from Lisa at the Recreation Department. She wanted to know how we are doing!! She also asked if we mind if the Recreation Department calls daily (no we do not!) And she asked if we needed food or medicines delivered. Wow! In 40 years in HOH, we have never had a call like this from anyone. We greatly appreciate this concern and the dedication of HOH government to organize itself to do this.”

Our seniors will need various types of support – so please contact Trustee Lopez (trusteelopez@hastingsgov.org) if you want to add yourself or someone else to the list of seniors we are reaching out to or if you want to be part of the team that calls in. Thanks in advance to everyone who is helping on this incredibly important issue.

Also, for all of you who sent sweet messages inquiring about my parents, please know they are beyond chuffed that a group of people from a hyphenated Village across the ocean are thinking about them. And yes, “stroppy” is a delicious word, up there with “bolshie” and “huffy” as classics of the British lexicon.

Important Stuff From Prior Messages

As per my last message, everything from here down is a repeat from a prior message but I am including it because it contains important information and so you have everything in one place.

Symptoms, Testing and Isolation/Quarantine
Symptoms: The typical symptoms of Covid-19 are fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue. If you have these symptoms stay home (avoid public places and public transportation), separate yourself from others (use a separate bedroom and bathroom, eat separately, have your linens washed frequently), and call the Covid-19 hotlines to notify the authorities so that you can be given the help you need while protecting your family and neighbors. Here are the numbers to call:

People under self-quarantine or exposure to known case, call (866) 588-0195
NYS Department of Health Covid-19 Hotline (888) 364-3065
Westchester County Covid-19 Information Call 211
You can also call our police department 914-478-2344 - they have been fielding calls from residents and will know where to send you

Testing: Some residents have called to say that they or their loved ones have symptoms that appear to be similar to those of Covid-19 but they have been unable to get a test. The County has provided guidance on when testing protocols kick in HERE. Until more tests become available tests will be provided to: people who were in close proximity to a person who has been diagnosed with Covid-19 (same office, classroom etc.); people who have come back from a hot spot and have developed symptoms; or people who have been quarantined and developed symptoms. As more tests become available the categories of qualified persons should broaden. Many hospitals and private practices are getting access to Covid-19 testing and there are now more than 28 NYS authorized labs. Currently testing is available at:

State public health lab
NYC public health lab
Labcorb and Northwell labs (more private labs soon)
New Rochelle mobile testing site. Patients must call ahead to make an appointment: 888-364-3065. Priority is given to New Rochelle residents and vulnerable populations, like senior citizens and people with underlying respiratory issues.

Isolation and Quarantine Protocols:

The CDC defines the two terms HERE:

Isolation separates sick people with a contagious disease from people who are not sick. The County’s isolation protocol for Covid-19 is HERE.
Quarantine separates and restricts the movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick. The County’s quarantine protocol for Covid-19 is HERE and the NYS protocols can be found HERE.

As per the State’s/County’s quarantine protocol, the point of a “self-quarantine” is to avoid mixing with other people. If you are being asked to work from home please don’t refer to that as “self-quarantine” as it will confuse others. If you are not clear what protocols you and your family should be following please call the self-quarantine hotline (866) 588-0195 to get accurate guidance. If after calling the hotline you are still unclear, or if you are getting conflicting messages, please let me know and I will make the County and State aware.

Additional Resources:

The core advice for individual citizens remains the same as summarized on the County site HERE – washing your hand is still the single most important thing you can do!

The CDC site is constantly being updated so check back in for guidance related to schools, colleges and universities, businesses and employers, places of worship, higher risk populations (older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions), pregnant women and children, homeless shelters and large gatherings. There is also advice for travellers.

You can see past Mayor’s Messages HERE, the Village website Covid-19 page HERE, and messages from the Schools HERE.

Government

Building / Property

Sustainability

Recreation

Mayor's Message about Covid-19 Update #7 March 17, 2020