Long Island Main Street News March 25th, 2020
Check out the latest issue of LI Main Street News for Day 10 of the Coronavirus economic shutdown. We cover updated information on federal support, NYS updates, community information and other resources……
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presented by Vision Long Island and the Long Island Main Street Alliance March 25th, 2020
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– United States Senator Charles Schumer
“For those who already have come here, follow federal guidelines to self-quarantine for 14 days. It is essential to avoid public exposure to others at all costs and they need to stay in place.” -Southold Supervisor Scott Russell
“We have gone from a thriving town to a ghost town and our eateries are experiencing real hardships. The restaurants are doing yeoman’s work. They need all the advertising help we can give them, especially through the use of social media.” – Hon. Jean Celender, Mayor, Village of Great Neck Plaza |
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Helping Main Street through the
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Reports from Local DowntownsAt this time of uncertainty, we are beginning to see a number of downtowns being shuttered as bars, restaurants, and any place where multiple people congregate are running up against fears of and caution at spreading the Coronavirus. While this is a socially responsible action that will help to save lives, in the short term these actions are having a number of adverse effects on our local communities. Vision Long Island has collected a number of experiences from local restaurants and service businesses, but before we go into that we would like to encourage everyone reading this to find a way to responsibly patronize local establishments. Many stores are offering curbside pickup or online shopping to help them get through this difficult time. And your favorite restaurants are also currently open for business with takeout available. We also urge you to consider gift cards in order to purchase something at a later date for yourself, or perhaps to give as a present. Local shops are in a capable position to provide you with what you need in the short-term. Many will also be willing to accommodate you if you contact them ahead of time with requests that will minimize contact and help to lower the spread of this virus. Vision has connected to over 250 small businesses in over 40 downtowns as they weather the economic storm through the Coronavirus. We encourage people to responsibly patronize these and other open establishments who need your help in this time of crisis. Many of them have been there for local organizations and philanthropy – they now need our support. In the meantime, here is a selection of updates from Long Island downtowns, more to follow… Great Neck Plaza
Day 10 of the Coronavirus economic shutdown brings us to the Great Neck Plaza. Amid Coronavirus concerns, the Village of Great Neck Plaza is putting residents first. As per Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order on March 16th, village elections have been delayed to primary Election Day, April 28, 2020. As such, Mayor Jean Celender has delayed her retirement through early May. According to the Mayor, “Our Preparedness Team is meeting daily to ensure we consider the most up-to-date information from public health agencies and government authorities, share key data and best practices with our staff, and ensure we are taking appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of all of our people while continuing to meet the needs of our residents and businesses on Main Street.” The Village of Great Neck Plaza, led by Mayor Celender, has flourished throughout the years. From advocating for safe streets and traffic calming initiatives, demanding affordable housing units in a high wealth area, managing and promoting festivals, events, arts, culture, music, and securing $5million for a range of capital projects and services, the Village of Great Neck Plaza is thriving. Most recently, the Village has been working with Vision to change codes to help promote/preserve Main Street retail and get more affordable units in its downtown. The effects of the pandemic now threaten to interrupt this remarkable trajectory. “We are a ghost town,” described Mayor Celender. “Our eateries are experiencing real hardships. The restaurants are doing yeoman’s work. They need all the advertising help we can give them, especially through the use of social media.” The Great Neck Plaza Business Improvement District is encouraging residents, during this time of crisis as restaurants and patrons do their part in flattening the curve, to visit favorite local eateries and utilize takeout, curbside or delivery options. Here is a sampling of local restaurants making it work: Bareburger is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Francesca’s Pizzeria & Restaurant is open for takeout and delivery Gino’s of Great Neck Pizzeria & Restaurant is open for takeout and delivery Great Neck Diner is open for takeout and delivery La Rotonda Ristorante is open for takeout and deliver Lola is available for takeout S&D Crab House is open for takeout and delivery Lynbrook
Day 9 of the Coronavirus economic shutdown takes us to downtown Lynbrook where the community has banded together on a number of levels. From monitoring experts’ opinions and suggestions, providing COVID-19 education, closing the library and village sponsored recreational events, to partnering with Key Food Supermarket to deliver food to seniors that rely on buses to get to the market, the Village of Lynbrook is working overtime to keep its residents safe. Along with tackling this health crisis, the Village is grappling with the economic crisis all downtowns are now facing. With great schools and friendly residents, many of whom have grown up there, Lynbrook has been able to maintain its local flavor. With its embrace of several recent projects, the Village has begun lowering its oar in the water on transit-oriented development, utilizing its unique rail opportunities. Now, all hands are on deck to try to minimize the economic damage that is ensuing from the fallout of the Coronavirus. Joe Carusone, owner of Vincent’s, embodies the spirit of Lynbrook, “We are hanging in there. Whatever our customers are comfortable with, we’ll do. We’ll deliver to the door, knock, or not, deliver curbside, or welcome you into the restaurant for takeout. Everyone is different and we understand.” The Lynbrook Chamber of Commerce has a message for residents, “Between the mandate that closed restaurants, and the supermarkets out of, well, everything, you can support our member restaurants who are open for takeout and delivery. You’ll be doing yourself and them a big favor.” Kudos to Mayor Alan Beach and his team for managing the Village through this crisis. Here is a sampling of local restaurants making it work: Angelinas Pizzeria & Restaurant is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Burger Shack is open for takeout & delivery Craft Kitchen & Tap House is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Lynbrook Eats is open for takeout & delivery Maier’s Brick Café is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Santorini’s is open for takeout, curbside & delivery SaVino’s Restaurant & Wine Bar is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Villa Formia is open for takeout & delivery Vincent’s is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Babylon Village
Day 8 of the Coronavirus economic shutdown brought us to Suffolk County and the Village of Babylon. The Village of Babylon has been working on redevelopment projects, including a downtown theatre, and maintains a robust business district. The Village understands that money spent on brick and mortar stores in its downtown stays in the community, helps pay local taxes, and keeps jobs and resources in the neighborhood. The advent of the Coronavirus and the steps that towns, villages, counties, and states are necessarily taking to protect the health of residents, may ultimately injure downtown businesses. Kelly Peckholdt, President of the Babylon Village Chamber of Commerce, sees the importance of focusing on the economic impact of this crisis. “Our businesses here in the village are already significantly impacted,” said Ms. Peckholdt. “At this point, pretty much all of the businesses are closing or have modified their hours significantly. A few retailers are still open but are only doing virtual shopping or private shopping appointments. We’re essentially waiting on and expecting the announcement to come that all non-essential businesses must close. There are a lot of business owners and employees of those businesses who are already concerned for their livelihoods considering the government has not provided a timeline on these shut downs. On the other hand, we are already seeing a wave of support from the community. “As a Chamber, we have been working really hard this week at constantly sharing businesses who are offering takeout, virtual shopping, etc, on our social media pages, and have also been trying to share as much information from local governments as possible for business owners to reference. We also have some larger marketing projects in the works, too, as we are trying to help our fellow business owners as much as possible. Another upside, though, is that this situation has forced many businesses to become really creative in what and how they are marketing – only time will tell if these strategies will also work in a post-coronavirus world, but I think these innovative strategies will be what will hopefully allow these businesses to survive for the time being.” Richard Kahn, Bar Manager at The Brixton, sums it up. “We are all in this together. We are trying to restore some sense of normalcy, which is so important right now. We need to take care of each other.” Here is a sampling of local Babylon restaurants making it work: Del Fuego is open for takeout, curbside service and delivery through Uber Eats & Doordash Horace & Sylvia’s Publick House Jack Jack’s Coffee House is open for takeout Lily Flanagan’s Pub is open for takeout and delivery Mary Carroll’s is open for takeout Mulberry Street Babylon Ohayo Japanese Cuisine is open for takeout and delivery Post Office Café is open for takeout and delivery through Uber Eats & Door Dash & Grubhub The Brixton is open for pickup (delivery coming soon) Kudos to Babylon Mayor Ralph Scordino who is managing the Village through this crisis. Kings Park
We recently had a chance to talk to our friends, small businesses, and government leaders in Kings Park to see how they are coping amidst the shutdown. Kings Park has been making slow but steady strides towards revitalizing its aging downtown. With business, community and government working together, the prospects for positive growth has become a reality. The current restrictions associated with combatting the Coronavirus threatens to derail this progress. Like every local Main Street, the businesses, especially restaurants, are struggling to survive. Anthony Tanzi, President of the Kings Park Chamber of Commerce, predicts “Main Street and small business will weather this storm! However, it’s going to take a commitment from our local communities to help them though if we want them there when it’s over.” Kevin Denis, owner of Professor’s Café agrees, “We’ve been taking care of the community for 33 years, we hope the community will be there for us.” Denis explains, “It’s hard to know what the right thing to do is, close for a few weeks or stay open. We are doing everything we can to hang in there and survive.” Michael Grimaudo, owner of Gino’s Kings Park concurs, businesses are hurting, but we are working to stay positive. The Town of Smithtown government understands the immediate challenges of balancing personal health and economic health of communities. “This pandemic has hit our Main Street businesses in a way that has many of them wondering how they will survive. Many are coming up with ways of conducting business without compromising the public. Bakeries are making DIY cookie kits to take home, restaurants are amping up takeout, realtors are filming available homes… they’re each finding their own recipe to make lemonade. And while the public must remain vigilant in social distancing, we can all find a way to safely support our local shops, be it sharing their social media posts or making a donation to those forced to close… the way through this is together,” Supervisor Ed Wehrheim. Linda Henninger, President if the Kings Park Civic encourages residents to support the local businesses downtown as well. We had the chance to also see the Park Bake Shop set up an order window. Owner Lucy Shtanko offered delicious kronuts to go. Here is sampling of Kings Park restaurants making it work: Café Red is open from 12 pm to 8 pm for order and pickup. Ciro’s Kings Park is open from 2 pm to 8 pm for deliveries, takeout and curbside pickup. Gino’s Kings Park is open from 10 am to 9 pm for takeout and delivery. Long River Restaurant is open from 11 am to 6 pm for takeout and delivery. Professor’s Café is open M,T,W from 8 am to 7 pm, Th, F from 8 am to 8 pm, Sat 8 am to 7 pm, Sun from 8 am to 3 pm for takeout and delivery. Relish is open from 11 am to 7 pm for takeout and delivery. Simply Greek is open 11 am to 9 pm for takeout and delivery. Park Bake Shop, 5:00am-6:00pm, Takeout through order window. Park Lounge, 4:00pm-7:00pm, doing takeout of family meals. Kings Park Shipping has been mandated as an essential business by the Governor’s order to remain open as a vessel into the shipping channel for UPS,FEDEX,DHL and USPS. They can also handle printing as needed. Please email any inquiries to: john@kingsparkshipping.com Northport
Vision Long Island was in downtown Northport recently, where a number of small businesses are still open for takeout during the day and the night. Some of the businesses that are open for takeout include: Northport Harbor Delicatessen Rob Breudenbach from the Northport Harbor Delicatessen, both of which have been mainstays in town for decades, has great egg sandwiches, soups and lunches. Martoni’s, a much newer operation, has great coffee, homemade soups, and other entrees and products. They also have pasta for sale for folks that are stocking up and find their local supermarket bare. The Wine Bar is open for takeout and serving up their eclectic menu, which includes other open restaurants in town. It is literally a one stop takeout shop along with wine, of course. Lastly, Maroni’s is open with lots of their award winning meatballs hot and ready to go. Maria Maroni is working long days and nights to keep that operation ready to go for local patrons. Folks can grab their takeout and eat at the waterfront while still remaining good distance apart, or just safely walk around town while avoiding close contact with others. Many of the retail shops voluntarily closed even before the forced shutdown the came last night and the one last Monday. Northport is a village that relies heavily on tourism revenue, so summers are when most restaurants, bars, and retailers benefit and January & February are the slowest months of the month. The shutdown occurring in March, when most of these businesses are beginning to ramp back up, may actually be worse than the winter and is debilitating for many. Sadly, our friend Gene from Oscar’s barbershop was forced to close last week in anticipation of shutdown orders. We hope to see him back. We hope folks can find a responsible way to patronize these small businesses or others in your own downtown. It’s the only way these folks will make it through what will be a rough economic time for all of us. Farmingdale
No single downtown has brought housing, jobs, economic activity and great adaptive reuse with transit-oriented development as the Village of Farmingdale, but as this pandemic begins to cause significant economic distress, very few places or industries will emerge unscathed, and none are more vulnerable than our local Main Street businesses. Farmingdale Village Mayor Ralph Ekstrand and the Village Board of Trustees are not only working to keep their community safe; they are visiting merchants throughout the Village to address the current economic crisis. Mayor Ekstrand tells us, “We have been doing take out every night from a different place. We put out on the Village website, and to all residents on our constant contact, a list of restaurant’s names and phone numbers which are doing delivery and take out. We have given all merchants the SBA information to file for money. We are trying our best to keep Farmingdale a Village to be proud of.” The Farmingdale Chamber of Commerce asks that Farmingdale come together to support the businesses that support the community. “Every day, small business owners and organizations are being asked to make public safety judgement calls, putting themselves, their staff, and their future at risk,” President Joseph Garcia states. “Our restaurants, brewery, and many others have been forced to change business models overnight to comply with State Rules and Guidelines to prevent the spread of the COVID-19. The vast majority of our members are still operating. Food and beverage establishments have made provisions for takeout, curbside pick-up, free delivery, discounts, and Alcohol to-go and even delivered. Please continue to support our businesses here in Farmingdale. Order in, have some beer or wine. Continue doing business over the phone. Consider purchasing gift cards for future use, as well. We want to make sure Farmingdale continues to be a strong and vibrant business community.” Here is a sampling of local restaurants making it work: 317 Main Street is open for curbside & delivery Bagel Hut is open for takeout & delivery Caracara Mexican Grill is open for curbside & delivery Charlotte’s Desserts is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Chiddy’s Cheesesteaks is open for pick up & delivery Croxley Ales is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Dominican Restaurant 4 is open for takeout & delivery Flux Coffee is open for takeout Frankie’s Pizzeria is open for takeout & delivery Grecian Grill is open for takeout & delivery High Tide Taco is open for takeout & delivery Library Café is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Lithology is open for curbside & delivery Main Street Pizza is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Palmer’s American Grille is open for curbside & delivery Sobol is open for takeout Stuff-A-Bagel is open for takeout & delivery That Meetball Place is open for curbside & delivery The Republic Pub is open for takeout & delivery Thyme on Your Side (Le Petit Café) is open for takeout, curbside & delivery Tiny Thai is open for takeout TOA is open for takeout & delivery Tre Scalini is open for takeout & delivery Vespa Italian Kitchen & Bar is open for takeout & delivery Wings Over Farmingdale is open for takeout Farmingdale has also released a list of local businesses that are still open and what services they are offering to customers, which you can access here. Mineola
Vision was out in downtown Mineola for day 4 of the forced shutdown of most activities. Restaurants we were able to speak with or observed open included: PS Burgers (It is worth noting that the line for one of the local gun shops was out the door at 8:30 at night.) We had takeout from Taglio Roman Style Pizza, which tasted great. We also stopped in to see Avelino and Elizabeth from Heart of Portugal. Their Grilled Octupus with Vegetables special was particularly delicious! Unfortunately, businesses reported of being 90% down on average, even with takeout orders still being available. Most have had to lay off 50 to 80% of their staff, and are operating under skeleton crews. But it is still worth noting that takeout food delivery is still allowed under the forced measures to be enacted on Sunday. Vision has now spoken to over 160 independent small businesses who have been decimated by the forced shutdowns of most Main Street activities. East Meadow
East Meadow businesses were the latest group to be stunned by a sudden closure of businesses on Monday as they worked to keep their establishments extra clean in hopes of staying open. After the order toc lose came, owners began to work in earnest to figure out how to make up for the loss of revenue. “Up until five minutes ago, we were sanitizing and planning to stay open,” Frank Camarano, the manager of World Gym in East Meadow, said on Monday afternoon. “Now everyone is just stunned, just like I am. The members are heartbroken, and now they don’t know what to do.” Mr. Camarano is also the board chairman of the East Meadow Chamber of Commerce and the vice president of the Nassau Council of Chambers of Commerce. Working in those positions have placed him in the position of contacting numerous local businesses so as to calm nerves, but a number of local owners feel as though they have nowhere to go. Right now he is working to gather resources to and information on relief plans at different levels of government that can possibly help. “I think what people have to hear is that ‘You’re not alone,’” said Mr. Camarano. “I know it sounds kind of hokey, but it’s true.” Frank Borrelli, owner of Borrelli’s Italian Restaurant in East Meadow, is hoping to keep his doors open with a takeout menu, but had to fire his entire wait staff in the wake of Cuomo’s order, though it pained him to do so. He made the promise to hire them once the ban on gatherings is lifted, but for the moment he has to make do the best he can. “I guess we could deliver a pizza with ‘quarantini’ to go,” Borrelli said, referencing the loosening of liquor laws to allow alcohol to be sold off premises. Mr. Borrelli also talked about how his business made it through Hurricane Sandy, but could at least look forward to the nearby Nassau Colosseum to help bring in customers. But this time is different as the ban on public gatherings means at least a month without such relief. Local businesses focused on fitness are working to continue providing services on a virtual level for their customers. Anthony Bevilacqua, who owns AB Fitness in East Meadow, will have his staff stream three half-hour sessions in the morning and three at night for members, as well as nutritional seminars each evening. “One of the best ways to fight the coronavirus is to keep staying healthy,” said Mr. Bevilacqua. “Everyone’s definitely more stressed during this time. But the only thing you could control is yourself and the actions you take.” You can read more at the Long Island Herald. Franklin Square and Elmont
This past Tuesday was supposed to see an influx of business for local restaurants and bars in Franklin Square and Elmont. Instead, there has been mostly silence in the wake of Governor Cuomo’s order to for bars and restaurants to switch to takeout and delivery instead of dine-in establishments. This turn of events has left local owners worried during what should be one of their busiest times of year. “It might shut down my restaurant,” said Ann Angelino, owner of Murph’s Restaurant in Franklin Square. Ms. Angelino recently invested $10,000 into her business in preparation of St. Patrick’s Day and is afraid that she will be unable to recoup the cost with the ongoing shutdown order. Additionally, she is unable to apply to unemployment insurance as the owner of her own business. This is a problem being seen across the region as owner after owner faces plummeting sales and patronage as local residents stay home for fear of spreading the Coronavirus. This has left local chambers scrambling as they look to help out their businesses. “In the next week or two, everyone’s really going to be hurting,” said Elmont Chamber of Commerce President Paul Sapienza, who also owns Sapienza Bake Shop in downtown Elmont. “If they don’t have any money, they’ll have to close up.” Mr. Sapienza stated that some businesses might be able to take out loans or use money in reserve, but that the shutdown could still lead to a large number of employees being laid off. Part-time employees will probably be the first, a majority of whom are students or people looking for extra disposable income, but the longer this crisis drags on the more difficult it will be for local business to pay even a skeleton staff. That is the primary concern of Mario Testani, owner of Filomena’s Restaurant, who feels as though he has enough money to weather the crisis, but is concerned for his employees. He is trying to figure out the best way to remain open and still paying them while also being conscientious of the safety of others. But on top of that, the main concern is how businesses will be paying their ongoing expenses. “I’ll have to pay my landlord no matter what,” said Anthony Capogna, owner of Olivetto Pizzaria and Ristorante, which is still open for takeout. But the future is suddenly very uncertain for him and a lot of local business on Long Island. You can read more about Franklin Square and Elmont at the Long Island Herald. Rockville Centre |
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Bipartisan Passage of “Corona 3” Emergency Legislation Delivers $40 Billion+ to New York
U.S. Senator Charles Schumer formally announced, today the latest COVID-19 emergency package he directly negotiated, delivering $40 billion+ dollars to the state, city, and its citizens. In reaching an agreement, the Senate will help New York address the coronavirus crisis, support our local communities. “This is not a moment of celebration but rather one of necessity,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. “The more than $40 billion dollars of additional help on the way to New York is essential to save lives, preserve paychecks, support small businesses, ensure public transit and much more. These critical dollars will inject proverbial medicine into our state, city and localities like on Long Island, to deliver much-needed resources right now that can help combat the coronavirus. Like all compromise legislation, this bill is far from perfect—but it now does much more for this state, its people and its future than where we began.” First, this relief package includes a dramatic and historic expansion and reform of the unemployment insurance program, called ‘Unemployment Insurance on steroids.’ Schumer conceived this plan with an understanding for how the modern New York economy functions and to provide more generous benefits during this crisis to a greater number of New Yorkers, including those who have non-traditional employment like freelancers and gig workers. The extended and expanded UI program in this agreement increases the maximum unemployment benefit amount by $600 per week above one’s base unemployment compensation benefit and ensures that workers who are laid-off or out of work, on average, will receive their full pay for four months, a full quarter. It ensures that all workers are protected whether they work for businesses small, medium or large, along with self-employed and workers in the gig economy, who might travel from Long Island or Upstate to work in the city each day. The $260 billion dollar plan will deliver at least $15 billion directly to New York. Payments of $1,200 for individuals and $2,400 for couples accounts for another $15.5B to New York. A Marshall Plan for our hospitals and other medical facilities so they can provide the necessary care during this pandemic. Schumer was able to create this plan and include over $150 billion for it nationally. Given that New York is the national epicenter of the pandemic, billions of dollars will begin flowing to New York right away. The money will be available to fund efforts critical to defeating the virus. That includes a massive new grant program for hospitals and health care providers, personal and protective equipment for health care workers, testing supplies, increased workforce and training, new construction to house patients, emergency operation centers and more. Additional funding is also dedicated to delivering Medicare payment increases to all hospitals and providers to ensure that they receive the funding they need during this crisis, and new investments in our country’s Strategic National Stockpile, surge capacity and medical research into Covid-19. For state and local governments, a special program to deliver relief to those entities, to help stabilize the ones hardest hit by the virus, like in New York City and on Long Island. An expenditure relief fund of roughly $150 billion dollars will deliver at least $5.8 billion to New York, and with more than a $1.4 billion going to NYC and about half-a-billion to Long Island’s Nassau and Suffolk County budgets. Includes critical dollars deemed necessary to preserve America’s transit systems, particularly in New York and in New York City. Schumer negotiated a $25 billion dollar allocation for transit, delivering $4.35 billon to New York, $3.8 billion of that exclusively for MTA. These dollars can be used to supplement revenues due to steep declines in ridership and to cover additional costs of coronavirus-related cleaning products and labor. The package also includes small business rescue plan that allocates more than $375 billion to forgivable loans and grants to small businesses and non-profits so they can maintain their existing workforce and help pay other expenses during this crisis, like rent, a mortgage or utilities. New York, with its 2.2 million small businesses and tens-of-thousands of non-profits can expect to see billions of dollars once companies and organizations begin to apply for those funds. NYS small businesses that currently have over 19,000 existing SBA loans will also have relief from the burden of paying those loans with a new policy of the SBA, instead paying the principal, interest, and fees for a 6-month period. Also included are several “emergency appropriations” totaling $180 billion that range from billions for hard-hit airports, expanded benefits to SNAP, increased CDBG which helps all our municipalities, funding for child care, of which New York would receive an additional $162 million, nutrition for seniors, nearly $1 billion dollars to help heat homes when income becomes a problem, and $1.5 billion for the National Guard to support to the hardest hit States and territories, like New York where approximately 2,200 members of the National Guard have been activated, amongst other things. New York will see tens-of-billions from this account, as well. Governor Cuomo Gives Update on NYS Coronavirus Outbreak
NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo provided another of his daily updates on the ongoing health crises in NYS while speaking from the Capitol Building in Albany. The major bit of bad news was an additional 5,146 confirmed cases of Coronavirus across New York. But a particular good bit of news was the recent success from New York’s call for volunteer health workers to help out with surging COVID-19 cases. He noted that 40,000 healthcare workers have answered that call, including students and retirees, and will work on the front lines of the ongoing crises. Meanwhile, more than 6,000 mental health professionals have signed up to provide free online mental health services to New Yorkers. People can call 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a free appointment if they find themselves in need. Meanwhile, NYC will being a pilot program of closing streets to vehicular traffic in order to allow people to better stick to social distancing protocols. Part of this plan will also include a voluntary playground social density protocol that will prohibit close contact sports such as basketball. Governor Cuomo also took the time to urge the federal government to implement a “rolling deployment” of equipment and personnel to address critical needs in hotspot areas. This would allow federal supplies to more quickly reach areas where there are a high number of COVID-19 cases instead of an equal number of resources to the entire country. Governor Cuomo pledged to personally manage the deployment of supplies and equipment and technical assistance to the next hotspots once New York’s numbers go into decline. Finally, he talked about how people are helping each other out during the outbreak. He noted that the Four Seasons Hotel on 57th Street, sometimes known as “Billionaire’s Row,” will provide free rooms to medical personnel who are fighting the outbreak. He also talked about how Public Service Commission (PSC) has ordered utilities to freeze rate increases in an effort to bring relief to New Yorkers. You can read more on the update at the Governor’s website. Unprecedented Number of New Yorkers Filing for Unemployment
As the Coronavirus spreads throughout the region, NYS Department of Labor is reporting an increasingly large number of people are filing unemployment claims. As people are continually put out of work thanks to the economic shutdown resulting from the ongoing pandemic, they are turning to state to help them pay bills and keep food on the table. According to the NYSDOL, between Monday, March 16th and Saturday, March 21st, nearly 2.3 million people visited their website and over 1.7 million called the department, shattering previous records. The department averaged 75,000 fielded calls as of last Tuesday, up from its usual 10,000. According to Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, nearly 4,000 employees have been laid off according to 700 surveyed businesses. A large number of those employees are from the restaurant industry, which is particularly vulnerable to an economic shutdown of this magnitude. Some areas of the state are seeing a 1,000% surge in claims. Those numbers are only expected to climb after the recent executive order by Governor Andrew Cuomo that mandated all nonessential employees remain home to help slow the spread of infection. This reverses what had been years of a downward trend for unemployment claims in New York. Long Island’s unemployment rate was as low as 3.9% this past January. In order to help expedite requests, the state is calling for claimants to file at specific times based on the first letter of their last names. A-F should file on Mondays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., G-N should file on Tuesdays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., and O-Z should file on Wednesdays from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Additional hours will be available in the evenings from Thursday through Saturday for those who missed their windows. Officials stressed that filing later in the week won’t make a difference on claims as they are retroactive to the beginning of the week. The state is also waiving the seven-day waiting period for people who are out of work due to the virus outbreak. The NYSDOL has also announced extended phone hours during this period to be able to answer more questions for residents. You can call 1-888-209-8124 Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also visit www.ny.gov/COVIDpaidsickleave for more information on New York’s coronavirus related paid sick leave law. While people are getting laid off in the restaurant industry, the grocery industry, which has been deemed essential during the outbreak, has announced several hiring initiatives in order to keep up with rising demand in the region. ShopRite and Stop&Shop have both announced aggressive hiring quotas in the next few weeks. Additionally, Stop&Shop is giving all current hourly union workers a 10% pay raise and two weeks of paid leave for sick employees that won’t detract from their normal sick time. Grocers are also working to reduce contact and proximity between cashiers and customers. You can read more on this at the Suffolk Times. Long Island Racing is Working to Provide Medical Supplies to Local Hospitals
Some of the greatest things about this crisis is local people pulling together with creative solutions. The owners of Long Island Racing are working day and night to producing reusable n95 masks in an effort to help with shortfalls in the local healthcare system. They are working with Christian Price, who is a local motorcycle fabricator and owner of one of the country’s largest 3D printers, to produce 100 masks a day for use in local hospitals. Kudos to Matt Mendez, Barbara & Ivette Jacome, Christian Price, Matt Gonzalez and Manny Rosa for their work and providing us a demo of the new masks. Vision Long Island Director Eric Alexander personally wore one for over an hour and described them as “very comfortable and snug.” They have set up a gofundme page to help keep the process going and produce these for front line workers. If you’d like to donate to help them purchase materials and help out in your own way, you can donate here. Nassau and Suffolk County Calling for Medical Supplies Donations
Nassau County has placed a call out to residents for much-needed medical supplies among the ongoing pandemic. County Executive Laura Curran, Comission of Police Patrick J. Ryder, and OEM Commissioner Steven Morelli all made the announcement today. Supplies that Nassau County is currently looking for include: – N95 Surgical Masks in unopened container/boxes The supply drive will run this week through Friday, March 27th and begin again next Monday through Friday from 9 am to 3 pm. Supplies can be brought to the Nassau County Public Safety Parking Lot, Field 3, Eisenhower Park, where a drive-up collection point is set up. Meanwhile, Suffolk County is currently holding its own medical supply drive. They are currently asking for medical masks, gowns, gloves, antibacterial and any other desperately needed medical supplies. These supplies can be dropped off at the Suffolk County Fire Academy in Yaphank for the rest of the week from 10 am to 2 pm. The Suffolk drive is aimed at helping out hospitals, medical centers, doctor’s offices, and nursing homes where supplies are quickly being depleted among the spreading disease. Supplies are also in high demand for EMS workers, police officers, and first responders. Facilities in Suffolk County that are in urgent need of supplies can register to receive them here. The drive has seen success so far with 40,000 gloves, 3,000 N95 masks, and 1,500 gloves donated so far. |
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Laura Curran to Host Virtual Town Hall Tonight at 6:30
In an effort to update residents on the constantly changing COVID-19 situation, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran will be hosting a virtual Town Hall on her Facebook page this upcoming Wednesday, March 25th at 6:30 pm. Nassau County Commissioner of Health Dr. Lawrence Eisenstein will also be present as they give residents the latest news on what is being done to keep their families safe and healthy. You will be able to join directly from your home to get up-to-date information and ask questions concerning the outbreak as well as strategies to fight back. You can head to Executive Curran’s Facebook Page here, which is where the Town Hall will be streamed from. There are also a number of previous updates that she has been giving daily since the outbreak began. |
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Nassau County Urges Nonprofits and Municipalities to Apply for FEMA Funds
New York State has been the hardest hit from the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, with over 25,000 positive cases and Nassau County accounting for almost 3.000. FEMA recently announced that it will be reimbursing and aiding organizations who have been providing essential emergency operations on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response. Nassau County Executive Laura Curran is urging all eligible local hospitals, nonprofits and municipalities who have been affected by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to dedicate staff to apply for this very important FEMA disaster assistance. The assistance will provide funding for actions (taken from January 20, 2020 and on) regarding the COVID-19 outbreak to save lives, protect public health and safety, and prevent damage to public health and safety, and prevent damage to public and private property. In order to apply for the assistance eligible applicants must attend a brief webinar on Thursday, March 26. “We are experiencing an unprecedented situation that is causing an extraordinary financial burden on our local economy, especially essential operations throughout the County. I am strongly recommending all eligible organizations join this webinar as the first step to applying for the assistance available in order to keep these essential operations going through this pandemic. We will continue to work with our state and federal partners to get as much support as possible,” said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran.
In order to apply for the assistance eligible applicants must attend a brief webinar. On Thursday, March 26 FEMA will begin holding applicant briefings for Nassau and Suffolk Counties via WebEx. The webinar will provide eligible applicants with the information needed to:
To register for one of the applicant briefings, please click on the registration link next to your preferred date and time:
For more information please reach out to Susan Park at (516) 573-9642 or spark@nassaucountyny.gov. |
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NYS Asking for Qualified Health Professionals to Recertify
In the event that the novel coronavirus crisis worsens, we need the help of qualified health professionals and related professionals to supplement our hospital capacity on a temporary basis to treat seriously ill coronavirus patients including those that may need to be intubated. The NYS Dept. of Health will recertify you for the purpose. If you are interested and able to help out, please fill out the Health Professional Survey here. Amazon Hiring Thousands of New Workers During Coronavirus Outbreak
As a number of workers are being let go from their positions, Amazon is looking to hire 100,000 new workers as delivery drivers and warehouse workers. To help incentivize this initiative they are offering an additional $2 per hour to anyone who applies before April. If you are interested in one of these positions you can read more about the initative and apply for a job here. |
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CDC Guidelines on Coronavirus Prevention
As concern about the ever-expanding impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) grows, we can minimize or prevent the spread of coronavirus by taking these steps:
These are everyday habits that can help prevent the spread of several viruses. CDC does have specific guidance for travelers. For more information see the CDC website or call the NY State Coronavirus hotline to speak with a representative 888-364-3065
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“This is not a moment of celebration but rather one of necessity. The more than $40 billion dollars of additional help on the way to New York is essential to save lives, preserve paychecks, support small businesses, ensure public transit and much more. These critical dollars will inject proverbial medicine into our state, city and localities like on Long Island, to deliver much-needed resources right now that can help combat the coronavirus. Like all compromise legislation, this bill is far from perfect—but it now does much more for this state, its people and its future than where we began.”
“I am joining Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman in requesting that Governor Cuomo put a travel ban to the east end in place limiting travel to only essential personnel. Our resources are scarce, the risk of spread is too high for a Town which is already seeing more than its share of confirmed cases and deaths. Southold should NOT be treated as someone’s personal isolation unit.”
“Our Preparedness Team is meeting daily to ensure we consider the most up-to-date information from public health agencies and government authorities, share key data and best practices with our staff, and ensure we are taking appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of all of our people while continuing to meet the needs of our residents and businesses on Main Street.” 
