Cracking down on social distancing

Suffolk County to boost patrols on Fire Island

During an appearance on CNN, Bellone said Suffolk Police’s Marine Bureau was called to scenes of crowds on Fire Island and “there was compliance when they did arrive,” with people dispersing. But reports later said the crowds came back after the police left and “were again flouting orders.”

There are no current plans to shutter beaches on Fire Island, he said. Bellone said police will enhance patrols on Fire Island so that they aren't responding and then leaving. In addition, they will continue progressive enforcement and issue summonses.

Meanwhile, officials said over the weekend the operators of three Montauk restaurants were arrested by East Hampton town police during enforcement of COVID-19 safety rules.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo used Fire Island as an example while warning New Yorkers about becoming complacent with face coverings and social distancing.

“The last thing we need is to see this virus spike again,” Cuomo said Monday. “You look at the festivities around July Fourth. You see gatherings that are not socially distant. You see it on Manhattan. You see it on Fire Island. I don’t know how else to say it. Actions have consequences.”

The number of new positives today, as of 3 p.m.: 22 in Nassau, 43 in Suffolk, 247 in New York City and 518 statewide.

The chart above shows the number of new cases in Nassau and Suffolk counties in recent days. Search a map and view more charts showing the latest local trends in testing, hospitalizations, deaths and more.

LIRR riders want crackdown on mask enforcement

The inconsistent use of face masks by Long Island Rail Road passengers is raising safety concerns among some commuters and demands that the LIRR enforce the requirement that riders wear face coverings.

Although officials with the Metropolitan Transportation Authority — the LIRR’s parent organization — have said as many as 95% of customers are wearing masks, some riders argue the compliance rate is considerably lower, and note that some of the railroad’s own conductors are not covering up.

“You’re going to get those people who aren’t going to do it, unless they’re nudged or someone speaks to them,” said Gerard Bringmann, the new chairman of the LIRR Commuter Council, the railroad’s state-regulated rider advocacy group. Bringmann said he has noticed that some who do wear masks pull them down when nobody is looking.

Protective masks have been a central focus of LIRR leadership as it works to attract customers back to the rail system, whose ridership has been decimated by the pandemic. 

Cooped up? Health experts worry about long-term impact

Households across Long Island have been struggling with being locked down for months because of the coronavirus. Routines have been broken, young children are restless, and older kids are missing their freedom. Many seem to be stressed out.

While some people have used the time to hone their exercise regime and cooking skills, others have spent endless hours binging on streaming channels and junk food. Months of working and attending school from home have wreaked havoc on sleep schedules.

Health experts worry about the long-term impact of it all. They say chronic stress can adversely impact a person’s immune, digestive, cardiovascular and sleep systems. Over the long term, stress has been linked to numerous problems, such as heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes.

“We live in unprecedented times,” said Dr. Joshua Miller, medical director of diabetes care for Stony Brook Medicine. “We are dealing with a deadly pandemic, and no one, regardless of their walk of life, has had to think about the challenges that a pandemic brings to their daily lives and the struggles that they already have."

Thousands back to work as NYC enters Phase 3

New Yorkers returned to nail salons, tattoo parlors, basketball courts and dog runs Monday as the city that was once the epicenter of the pandemic entered Phase 3, the next step in rebuilding an economy abruptly shut down nearly four months ago.

“Today is a good day because about 50,000 people will come back to work and start their lives again,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday. “A whole range of personal services will be available again and we are starting simultaneously a lot of recreation activities in our parks.”

Waxing, tanning and massage salons also opened for business Monday, months after Cuomo ordered them to shut down. Boccie, tennis, handball and volleyball courts were also reopened.

“It will be more of summer again,” de Blasio said.

The city had planned on allowing bars and restaurants to offer indoor dining Monday, but de Blasio and Cuomo decided last week to continue restrictions on indoor dining after seeing sharp spikes of COVID-19 cases in Florida, Arizona, Texas and other states.

The new normal: Long Islanders returning to changed offices

Workers across businesses on Long Island have returned to buildings with cubicles spaced farther apart, Plexiglas partitions installed to separate office workers from the public and employees wearing face coverings.

Businesses and county governments also are allowing workers to come in on alternate days — and continue to work remotely — as the nation awaits the development of a vaccine for COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Call it the new normal. As the Island grapples with bringing workers back safely, a union official said Nassau County was not prepared to bring hundreds of Department of Social Services employees back June 24. Jason Perkowsky, a Child Protective Services worker in Social Services, said officials weren't ready for the challenges.

"There's too many people there at once," said Perkowsky, who is the Department of Social Services' unit president for the Nassau County CSEA Local 830. "They’re doing their best to space things apart," but some areas were still crowded, he added. 

More to know

Public libraries on Long Island are reopening to visitors, changed by new safety protocols and often emptier than they were before the pandemic.

The Paycheck Protection Program, Washington’s marquee coronavirus loan program for small businesses and nonprofits, has been extended until Aug. 8.

Wedding Warehouse in Bohemia, which sells used wedding supplies, will be closing its doors for good this month as a result of losing business during the pandemic.

Tony Award-nominated actor Nick Cordero, who specialized in playing tough guys on Broadway in such shows as “Waitress,” “A Bronx Tale” and “Bullets Over Broadway,” has died in Los Angeles after suffering severe medical complications from the coronavirus.

More than 200 scientists have called for the World Health Organization and others to acknowledge that the coronavirus can spread in the air — a change that could alter some current measures to stop the pandemic.

News for you

The dos and don'ts of mask-wearing. Health officials stress the importance of wearing masks, but many people remain unsure about them. Newsday interviewed two Long Island doctors about their recommendations on face coverings. Here's what they said.

Cleaning your outdoor furniture. Routine cleanings are key. Find these tips on how often to clean it, where to store it and which methods work best to keep your outdoor furniture in good condition.

Surf shop expands online. Long Beach Surf Shop reopened after nearly three months with online shopping options for the first time. The shop's website relaunched to include everything from boards to gear and clothing. 

A reminder. It’s time to do your taxes. The federal government had postponed the traditional April 15 filing deadline as the pandemic took hold, but the July 15 deadline is approaching.

Plus: Thinking of starting a food truck business? That's the subject of a Tuesday webinar organized by Suffolk County. 

Get real-time updates about the virus' impact on the Island by visiting our live blog.

Commentary

COVID-19 could change what we eat and do for fun. The latest unemployment figures — worse than expected, again — suggest that the economy remains in the woods, writes Stephen Mihm, a contributor to Bloomberg Opinion.

Recovery depends on bringing the new coronavirus under control, yet each day brings record numbers of new cases. Little wonder people are making anxious analogies to the Great Depression.

If these comparisons have merit, we may be in for some lasting changes. It's conventional wisdom that the Great Depression created a generation of penny pinchers, but it wrought more subtle transformations as well — in the way people cooked and in how they spent their leisure time. The evidence from the 1930s suggests that life hacks made during hard times have a funny way of outliving the crises that beget them.

Something similar may be underway today.