Mayor's Message about Covid-19 Update #8 March 19, 2020

Mayor
Hi everyone,
 
I am deeply moved at the community response to the situation we are all in together. Many of you are hunkered down at home, you’ve donated to the family-to-family GoFundMe page, you’ve called the elderly, you’ve ordered in from our restaurants and bars, you’ve organized online activities for those stuck at home, you’ve had the fights and wiped the tears from the faces of your children as you curtailed their activities (I promised one day they will thank you...), you’ve started to contact trace even if you are not sick, and most importantly you’ve self-reported if you’re feeling sick, and you are following the isolation and self-quarantine procedures you were issued. All these actions are so very, very important.  Thank you!
 
Here are some new updates:
 
The number of cases in Hastings-on-Hudson
As of this writing, the official number of people who have tested positive in Hastings-on-Hudson – the number that is represented in the County, State and Federal numbers – is 3 cases. Unofficially we know of a few more cases.  There are also people who have told us they are waiting for results. Some people haven’t been able to get a test yet, and we expect there are still others who are not showing symptoms. All of this means that the actual numbers are probably 40+ or more. This lag in reporting is due to a number of factors: there aren’t enough tests; it’s difficult to get a test; it takes a few days to get the results back; it takes more days for the State to inform lower levels of government of results; and contact tracing takes time. What I want to stress to all of you is that as testing, reporting and contact tracing systems improve, the numbers will increase dramatically and many of you will find you’ve been exposed directly or indirectly. Bottom line, whether it is mandated by the Governor or not, we all need to stay at home as much as possible. There are exceptions of course, like buying food and medication, but now is the time to snuggle up with your family, eat comfort food (for me its the shepherd’s pie at Maud’s Tavern), and do the things you love doing as a family but have been too busy to do. Send me examples of what you and your family are doing and I will publish them out to inspire others.
 
Declaring a micro State of Emergency
Several of you have asked me to order a curfew for kids. Those of you following the news know that the Governor has restricted the ability of lower levels of government to issue these types of orders. In response, some municipalities have taken the route of issuing advisories.  My suggestion instead is that you declare your own micro State of Emergency specific to your home, and explain that because the Mayor issued a State of Emergency for the Village, you are issuing one for your house. I tested this idea with my mother who immediately said to my father:  “The Mayor declared a state of emergency so now you need to pick up your clothes and put them in the clothes basket, and don’t get in a huff about it.” I’m sure by tomorrow morning my father will be responding with a zinger of his own! If my husband’s grandmother were still with us hers would be: “The Mayor declared a state of emergency so now you need to eat your broccoli” (her husband gave up vegetables when he turned 90 and it drove her crazy but he successfully lived till the ripe old age of 97 as a vegetable free agent!). I know sometimes it’s really, really hard to get family members to do what you know is right for them, whether it’s kids or parents or spouses, but now is the time to set up rules and enforce them. Please feel free to blame these new draconian measures on me! Again, if you share your stories I will publish them out.
 
Food Security
FoodTown: Trustee Lopez and Barb Prisament, our amazing Downtown Advocate, have been working with FoodTown to set up special hours (7 to 8 am) for seniors and patrons with immunodeficiencies. The FoodTown messages are on our website HERE.
 
Food Pantry: Thanks to Pam and Nancy at Family-to-Family, our Youth Council team and Trustee Lopez, a GoFundMe site has been set up, and over $17,800 has been raised in just 3 days to support our Hastings-on-Hudson neighbors struggling to put food on their tables during this crisis. Donations will: 1. Provide $50 gift cards (to cover one week’s worth of lunch and snack items) to 50 Hastings school children currently receiving free or reduced-price lunches; 2. Keep the Hastings Food Pantry shelves stocked with food items, cleaning products, personal hygiene products, paper goods, diapers etc.; and 3. Provide $25 gift cards to families in need and seniors for perishable foods not available at the pantry. Please continue to give generously!
 
Local Food Businesses: On Monday, all restaurants, cafes and bars in New York were ordered temporarily to suspend dining on site.  Many of our Hastings-on-Hudson food and beverage related businesses switched to take-out and delivery only. A detailed list of the status of each was compiled by our Downtown Advocate and can be found HERE.
 
Farmers Market: We struggled with what to do about the Farmers Market but a message from the Department of Agriculture persuaded us that outdoor Farmers Markets are an essential part of the food supply chain and should remain open during the pandemic, but with a number of restrictions in place. Our Farmers Market Board has developed and will enforce a strict set of rules – the market will be outside in the large commuter lot, vendor tents will be spread far apart, there will be a limited number of people who can go in at a time, there will be no hobnobbing or chit chat. If you intend to go please sign up for a specific time slot and make your visit quick – you can pre-order items and just pick them up. Details can be found HERE.
 
Local Hospitals
Yesterday, I spoke to Ron Corti, President & CEO of St. John’s Riverside Hospital that has facilities in Dobbs Ferry and Yonkers (note that former Mayor Kinnally, Former Trustee Pam Barnes and Justice DiSalvo are all on the Board). He told me that the Hospital has a special emergency Covid-19 number that residents can call to establish if they need to be tested and to arrange for testing. If you have difficultly getting through on the other numbers we have provided in the past, try this one: 914-964-4706.
           
Acts of Kindness #6:
The act of kindness for today is from a resident who is new to our Village and has uncovered the magic the rest of us fell in love with years ago:
“I’ve got an act of loving kindness to share: We are new to the area and I am part of that small group of people who are vulnerable to this disease through a long-term lung condition that puts me in the ‘disabled’ category. In the past two weeks we’ve had 5 separate neighbors (and parent-friends of our daughter at Hillside) reach out to us and let us know that we can rely on them should we need anything. We moved here in August of last year and can truly see now why this community is so special. I feel closer to my neighbors today, even though the three of us have been isolating ourselves for fear of exposure. While we are far from any family members, we feel safe and comfortable in this special village of ours …. we can all act out of an abundance of care, as well as caution.”
 
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.  
 
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. “Contact tracing” means tracing back your contacts over the past 14 days to establish exposure. 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. If you have been quarantined please, please, please follow the directions you were given – we are all counting on you!
 
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 an entire Fire Department in New York City is in quarantine because the 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
 
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.
 
See also:
Feel free to reach out to me if you have specific questions, concerns or stories to share: mayor@hastingsgov.org
 
Sincerely,
 
Nicola Armacost
Mayor