Riverhead Town Supervisor: We Will Adjust

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar has a plan, she said Friday, March 20: “adjust accordingly.”

“The Town of Riverhead is working to ensure the health, security, and welfare of our residents while we navigate the unprecedented challenge posed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19),” she said in a letter. “Our focus is to continue implementing a continuity of operations plan.”

Riverhead Town Hall and all town offices remain closed. This now includes the yard waste facility. All calls to Town Hall will be answered centrally at 631-727-3200 during business hours and forwarded to the police non-emergency line after hours and weekends. A message will be taken, and calls will be returned based on priority. In the case of an emergency, residents are urged to call 911.

The senior Meals on Wheels program will continue for enrollees. Seniors are encouraged to call 631-722-4444 for additional information about possible pickup/drop-off services that may be available.

“From the shops in Wading River, to in and around our downtown, to our eastern-most hamlets and everywhere in between, our small businesses are a critical component of our town,” Aguiar said. “And although the economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis is yet to be fully measured, we know it is already having a huge, negative impact on our small-business community.”

Riverhead is under a state-imposed mandate to close all nonessential businesses.

“We are with you, and working daily with federal, state, and local officials to ensure financial assistance programs are readily available,” the supervisor said.

Riverhead is urging local businesses to go to the Small Business Administration website at www.sba.gov/diasters and apply for economic disaster impact loans.

All parks remain open and free to the public, but all playgrounds will be closed. All 2019 beach permits will be honored.

Currently, all golf courses will remain open with a strong recommendation to walk instead of using carts, at the direction of Suffolk County officials.

The Riverhead Chamber of Commerce will continue to provide updates on community efforts to support businesses at www.riverheadchamber.com.

The closest mobile testing center for the novel coronavirus is located at Stony Brook University’s South P Lot. Drive-through testing is available by appointment only. For more information, call 1-888-364-3065. Testing for the COVID-19 is free to all who meet the testing parameters. All hospitals on the East End have testing capabilities.

rmurphy@indyeastend.com