COVID-19 Cases Could Amount To Millions

Update, Wednesday, April 1, 4:58 PM

To date, more than 19,300 COVID-19 tests have been administered, an increase of approximately 1,700 from March 31. There are 7,605  confirmed cases, up 892 from the 6,713 cases that were reported at 2:30 PM on March 31. A total 897 patients are hospitalized — up 189 from March 31, and 272 of those are in the intensive care unit — up 43 from March 31. The 69 total deaths is up 16 from March 31.

Here is a breakdown of cases by township reported through 1:18 p.m. on April 1. The breakdown comprises information from 7,273 records available to Suffolk County at this time.

Islip — 1,496, up from 1,242 on March 31
Huntington — 1,203, up from 1,086 on March 31
Brookhaven — 1,082, up from 907 on March 31
Babylon — 1,076, up from 884 on March 31
Smithtown — 353, up from 302 on March 31
Southold — 152, up from 142 on  March 31
Southampton — 123, up from 99 on March 31
Riverhead — 93, up from 82 on March 31
East Hampton — 26, up from 24 on March 31
Shelter Island — 1,  no change from March 31
Township not known — 1,668

Original Article

Dr. Anthony Fauci said he expects between 100,000 to 200,000 fatalities in the country before the pandemic subsides, and “millions of cases.”

“This is truly an unprecedented situation that we’re going through,” said Dr. Fauci, an American physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984, and the head of the Coronavirus Task Force, from The White House Saturday, March 28. “We have an extraordinary confrontation on the health and the welfare of the globe, particularly you know for us here in the United States. This is something that we have never seen before, at least in our generation. They’ve seen something maybe like this, back 100 years ago. And we’re really being challenged to not only learn in real time, to be able to respond in a way that is helpful and effective, but we’re also in uncharted waters.”

As of Monday morning, cases climbed to over 65,000 statewide, with over 1000 deaths. Governor Andrew Cuomo noted that those who died tend to be older and those with underlying respiratory and immune system problems. Suffolk County has more than 5500 confirmed cases. Nassau is harboring more than 7000.

“I can’t begin to tell you how we are feeling,” Cuomo said Sunday. “But the doubling rate was every two days and now it is doubling over six days, and that is good news.”

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said in an interview “cases have started to level off in New York.” This came with news of a new outbreak reported in New Orleans. Nationwide, urban centers are exploding with new cases. Adams confirmed data presented by Cuomo at a press conference Friday morning where he said the number of cases had doubled every 2.5 days from March 17 through 19, and every three through March 23.

Cuomo said his experts feel comfortable enough to predict the apex of the virus will occur in 21 days in New York. He’s stockpiling ventilators and attempting to fill an expected shortage of hospital beds with an eye on that date.

“If you are not in a highly-affected health area now, that doesn’t mean you’re not going to have a real situation to deal with because these numbers are just going to continue to go up all across the state,” Cuomo said.

President Donald Trump said at the White House Coronavirus Task Force briefing the peak number should be reached by Easter – April 12.

On Long Island, the virus broke in Woodmere — 192 cases — Huntington Station, and several other communities.

“There is much more to be done in order to vanquish and recover from this horrible virus plaguing our great state and nation, but each day we make new progress, and we continue the collective fight,” Senator Chuck Schumer said March 29. “We won’t stop, and I won’t stop until we are back to bustling.”

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Friday there were 40 deaths in Suffolk, including three men who died overnight, one a male in his 30s, among the 5023 cases reported across the county. Eight more deaths were reported in Suffolk County on Saturday alone, including another member of Peconic Landing — a woman in her 90s with underlying issues — bringing the total there up to seven. Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini was also diagnosed with the novel coronavirus. He had been a part of two court proceedings a week ago. His office did not return requests for comment.

Bellone said that of the positive cases in Suffolk, 16 percent are people over the age of 65.

“These are moms and dads, grandmothers, granddads, friends and neighbors,” Bellone said.

There were 139 patients in an intensive care unit on Saturday, up from 119 on Friday, he said.

County officials said a Southampton Town man died at home March 28 from novel coronavirus-related health complications. The man was in his 60s and had underlying health problems that preceded his COVID-19 infection, Bellone said.

The total number of cases on the South Fork Saturday reached 101 — 79 in the Town of Southampton and 22 in the Town of East Hampton. This includes two staff members of the Southampton Union Free School District who reported to officials they had tested positive. According an email sent to community members by Superintendent of Schools Dr. Nicholas Dyno, one staff member has not been on school grounds since March 11, and the second was last in the district on March 18.

Cuomo’s brother and CNN anchor Chris Cuomo announced Tuesday morning, March 31, that he has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

“I have been exposed to people in recent days who have subsequently tested positive, and I had fevers, chills and shortness of breath,” he wrote on Twitter.

As of Sunday, there were 43 cases in Riverhead, 27 in Cutchogue, 23 in Mattituck, 21 in Southold, 18 in Manorville, 17 in Hampton Bays, 15 in East Hampton and Westhampton, five in East Quogue and Calverton, two in Peconic and Shelter Island Heights, and one in Water Mill, Flanders, and Montauk.

Suffolk County residents can get free testing for COVID-19 at Stony Brook University at a drive-thru coronavirus testing facility, but appointments are required. The mobile testing site has six lanes to accommodate up to 1000 tests per day. It will be open seven days a week from 7 AM to 7 PM. To make an appointment, call the state coronavirus hotline 24/7 at 1-888-364-3065.

Assemblyman Fred Thiele said ProHEALTH opened a drive-thru testing facility in Riverhead, its first in Suffolk County. Testing is by appointment only and open to all. Individuals experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and wishing to speak to a medical professional, or who wish to make an appointment, can call the ProHEALTH hotline at 1-516-874-0411. The facility is located at 1149 Old Country Road and open Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM, and Saturday to Sunday 8 AM to 5 PM.

By Rick Murphy & Desirée Keegan
rmurphy@indyeastend.com