(4/26/2019) COVID-19 Numbers For Dutchess County (64 new positives today), Beacon (117 infected right now), Fishkill, Newburgh, Wappingers Falls

As Governor Cuomo talks about a gradual reopening of New York, he imagines a regional approach between counties in New York State, as well as with other states neighboring New York, including New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, since many people commute from state to state, and county to county to work and live. During several briefings, and succinctly by tweet, the governor has stated: “We are taking a regional approach to safely reopening NYS. Each region is facing its own set of facts. Protecting public health comes first and all decisions will be data-driven.”

New York State has its COVID-19 tracker that includes county data. Several counties have made their own daily trackers public, including Dutchess and Orange Counties, that do show some statistics for communities within the counties.

As the CDC’s guidelines have recommended a 14-day decline, with the White House’s recommendation here, realizing the numbers in this region is relevant. A Little Beacon Blog will present select numbers from the state and county trackers as a way to help you have a snapshot view of what is happening, and what happened yesterday and last week. Having context to these numbers going up and down is important.

Keep in mind, testing is limited. There is the base number of how many people are tested, but there is a limited number of tests, which limits the types of people who can get tested. Almost daily, the public and health officials are learning about the coronavirus that may impact how data is collected. Decisions won’t be based on simple numbers either. Communities will be aware of what is happening within their borders.

All numbers have been taken from the Dutchess County Tracker, and the New York State Tracker. Each have their own stipulations as to how they collect data. As of now, the number of deaths per municipality (i.e.town/city/village) is not included in Dutchess nor Orange County trackers. A Little Beacon Blog has confirmed on 4/27/2020 with Dutchess County by way of Colleen T. Pillus, the Communication Director for Dutchess County, that they do have the number of deceased for each municipality, but will not be releasing it at this time.

Sources: New York State COVID-19 Tracker, Dutchess County COVID-19 Tracker, Orange County COVID-19 Tracker

DUTCHESS COUNTY 4/26/2020

How Many People Tested Positive So Far: 2,793 (New York State Tracker)
How Many People Tested Today: 389 (New York State Tracker)
How Many People Tested POSITIVE Today: 64 (New York State Tracker)
Percentage of Today’s People Testing Positive: 16.45%

How Many People Tested In Dutchess County: 13,464 (New York State Tracker)
Percentage Of People Testing Positive - Of Those Tested - In Dutchess County: 20.74%

How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths So Far: 36 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 Right Now: 79 (Dutchess County Tracker)

BEACON
Active COVID-19 Cases In Beacon As Of Today: 117 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Dutchess County, How Many In Beacon? 4.19%

FISHKILL
Active COVID-19 Cases In Fishkill As Of Today: 181 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Dutchess County, How Many In Fishkill? 6.48%
Active COVID-19 Cases In East Fishkill As Of Today: 163 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Dutchess County, How Many In East Fishkill? 5.84%

WAPPINGERS
Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers As Of Today: 157 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Dutchess County, How Many In Wappingers? 5.62%
Active COVID-19 Cases In Wappingers Falls Village As Of Today: 46 (Dutchess County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Dutchess County, How Many In Wappingers Falls Village? 1.65%

ORANGE COUNTY 4/26/2020

How Many People Tested Positive So Far: 8,238 (New York State Tracker)
How Many People Tested Today: 587 (New York State Tracker)
How Many People Tested POSITIVE Today: 132 (New York State Tracker)
Percentage of Today’s People Testing Positive: 22.49%

How Many People Tested In Orange County: 25,095 (New York State Tracker)
Percentage Of People Testing Positive - Of Those Tested - In Orange County: 32.83%

How Many COVID-19 Related Deaths So Far: 277 (Orange County Tracker)
Note: This number has already changed to 299 by 10 pm tonight 4/27/2020 as we were double-checking numbers before sharing. ALBB will update this once per day in the afternoon, knowing that numbers are updated at these trackers at different times of the day.
Number Of People Hospitalized For COVID-19 Right Now: 183 (Orange County Tracker)

NEWBURGH
Active COVID-19 Cases In Newburgh As Of Today: 543 (Orange County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Orange County, How Many In Newburgh? 6.48%
Active COVID-19 Cases In City of Newburgh As Of Today: 1,044 (Orange County Tracker)
Of the Positive Cases In Orange County, How Many In City of Newburgh? 12.67%

A screenshot of the White House-supported guidelines of reopening America, as of 4/27/2020. Things change daily, and this text on the White House website could also change.
Photo Credit: The White House website

FOOD: Free & Reduced Lunch Plan For Next (or This) School Year Open To More Families Who Lost Jobs

The Beacon City School District has been supplying free breakfasts and lunches to any student in the district by way of grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches, picked up on Mondays and Wednesdays at South Avenue Elementary or Beacon High School. Lunches are prepared and bagged on Mondays and Wednesdays to be made at home over the course of the week. Meals have included pizza, chicken nuggets, baked chicken, broccoli and chicken, pancakes and chicken - lots of options.

As of today (4/27/2020), the Beacon City School District is preparing 9,500 grab-and-go meals per week, and has completed just under 50,000 meals so far, according to Karen Pagano, Director of Food and Nutrition for the Beacon City School District.

When and if school resumes, families who have lost jobs can apply now for the Free & Reduced-Cost Lunch School Meals/Milk program, Karen says. Families who have already applied to the Free Meal program and have been accepted do not need to re-apply.

“Once school resumes, the meal eligibility will be what it was before we closed schools,” Karen told A Little Beacon Blog by email. “But, if they apply now for Free Meals, their new application may then assist with their children’s meals at school for the remainder of this school year and 30 days into the next (2020-2021) school year.”

Karen points out that people who have recently lost income and had not applied before because their income did not qualify them for meal assistance might now qualify. “If they apply now while waiting for supplemental assistance - their income levels may qualify them for the Free Meal program. Therefore, now is the best time to submit an application.”

People out of work are still encouraged to apply if they had a large reduction in income but have started receiving benefits.

How To Apply To The Free Meals Program For Beacon City School District

Download the application at the Beacon City School District’s website here.

Email the complete application to: moustakas.d@beaconk12.org.

Applications will also be available at the two current meal distribution sites - Beacon High School and South Avenue Elementary and can be returned to these sites as well.

Do not download the application if you have already applied and are already in the Free Meals program. Your work is done!

As of now (April 27, 2020) kids meals from the Beacon City School District continue to be free for all kids in the district while school is part of the New York PAUSE status, and no application is required to pick up a free meal. Details about pickup are here, and include delivery options.

County-Wide Siren Salute For COVID-19 Fight - Thursday at 7 pm - Listen For It

On Thursday (4/23/2020) evening at 7 pm, Dutchess County will come together to sound a siren salute using firehouse sirens in unison, according to an announcement from Beacon’s Mayor’s Office. Beacon’s siren will sound from the Lewis Tompkins Hose Co., and will sound for those “working tirelessly in Emergency Services, Health Care, Local Government and all the supporting agencies in our communities,” according to the announcement.

The length of the siren activation will be two cycles. Sirens can be heard occasionally at other times, and sometimes come from across the river, from other municipalities or services.

”This will also be a needed test to determine if the roof siren on Tompkins Hose still works,” noted Beacon’s City Administrator, Anthony Ruggiero.

Debt Collectors Cannot Seize Stimulus Checks In New York - Attorney General Letitia James Announced

The CARES ACT - the $2 trillion dollar stimulus package from the federal government to help Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic - has protections written in to safeguard the money being distributed. However, as this Forbes article points out, the protections against debt collection are at the federal level only. States have been left to make their own rules.

On Saturday (4/18/2020), New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a “hands off” debt collection policy against any debt collector, to make sure money stays in the hands of New Yorkers, as first reported by Gothamist. She specified that this protection does not apply to “any actions to collect past-due child support.”

In her press release, Attorney General Letitia James said: “As the coronavirus crisis continues to wreak havoc on our society, I will do everything in my power to protect the wallets of every New Yorker. Today, we are taking concrete action to ensure debt collectors keep their hands off New Yorkers’ stimulus payments. This official guidance makes clear that banks and debt collectors cannot freeze or seize stimulus funds that are on their way to New York families, and any institution that violates this guidance will face swift legal action from my office.”

A seemingly crowd-sourced or edited list of what other states are doing regarding the stimulus checks can be found here, as reported by Gothamist.

Friday Night Cheer & Candlelight Celebrating Essential Workers; Hope To Businesses; Honoring Those Who Passed

A reader wrote into A Little Beacon Blog, suggesting that the community of Beacon show some cheer and appreciation for essential workers by clapping at a unified time. The medical workers, grocery store workers, mail delivery workers, funeral home workers, dialysis workers, and many more.

The Dedication

We thought about it, and if you’re not already doing something, we are suggesting a Friday Night Cheer Clap Candlelight Night. On Friday nights, as we slide into the weekend, we step out onto the front porch or open your apartment window:

• Applaud essential workers who have been working for us and are about to start a busier Saturday/Sunday.

• Clap for people running closed businesses, who are hoping beyond hope that they can restart.

• Light a candle lit for people who have passed.

The Schedule

7 pm: Clap/cheer (still light, still energetic)
8 pm: Light a candle, give a moment of silence (it will be dark then, and calmer)

If you’re into it, send us pictures or tag @alittlebeacon in Instagram when you do it and we’ll publish. We’ll also publish a candle gift guide roundup for where you can buy beautiful candles in Beacon, many of which have been made in Beacon and smell really good.

They will be shipped to you, or delivered!

This would start this Friday.

We’re going to do it from our porches (Katie in Beacon, Marilyn in Fishkill, and Teslie in Newburgh). Don’t leave us hanging!

Dutchess County Ready With Additional COVID-19 Health Facility, Should It Be Needed

Back on March 23, 2020, Governor Andrew Cuomo was working to increase hospital capacity across the state by at least 50 percent, with a goal of 100 percent. In order to help do that, Dutchess County has retrofitted the Dutchess Community College’s Conklin Hall Dormitory as a Recovery Facility to house patients who are recovering from COVID-19 and are able to be discharged from a hospital, but still need care.

“While we hope we will never need to utilize the Recovery Center based on the current trend in hospitalization,” said County Executive Marcus Molinaro in a press release, “it is important to have this resource ready to care for people as we do not yet know when we will reach our apex with this virus.”

The Recovery Center has 176 rooms and 457 beds spread over four floors. The total capacity will vary based on the number of people who require a single room and/or access to a private bathroom, per their care plan. Staffing for the Recovery Center consists of approximately 50 medical and nonmedical professionals from multiple disciplines, primarily volunteers from Dutchess County Medical Reserve Corps (MRC). Housekeeping and security services are jointly provided by DCC staff and MRC volunteers.

Although staff is trained and prepared and the facility is ready for patient admission, it is not expected it will be necessary to open the facility this week as local hospital bed capacity has remained stable. However, during a presentation to volunteers about the Recovery Center (watch it below), Molinaro indicated that he thought it would eventually be used, and stated such in his speech to volunteers who would be running it: “We have spent the last month hoping that maybe we would not have to get together today… I can tell you first-hand that this is an ugly, ugly disease, and there are a lot of family members struggling really hard… We are hopeful that not one person has to walk through that door, but it is likely that someone will. You will be in one capacity or another, the lifeline that helps them to find recovery, to have hope, and to go back to their families and their homes. We are in a battle - a war - against an enemy that we do not understand, that outmaneuvers us, that attacks our weaknesses. The face of the front-line responder looks a lot different today: it’s health-care providers; it’s public health officials; it’s even grocery store clerks and cashiers; it’s the cleaners who are going to make sure this building stays clean. It’s just a new calling.”

Hospital capacity is evaluated daily, looking out three days, to determine whether it will be necessary to open the recovery center. According to New York State’s Coronavirus Tracker, there are 2,048 positive COVID-19 cases in Dutchess County today (4/15/2020) (Dutchess County Tracker has a slightly lower number), and 114 new positives recorded today. According to Dutchess County’s Tracker, there have been 18 deaths in total in Dutchess County as of today (4/20/2020).

Cathi Tegtmeier, Assistant Commissioner of Behavioral & Community Health for the county, indicated that the Recovery Center will be a relief valve available if needed: “[The Recovery Center] will reduce the stress on our local hospitals caring for COVID-19 patients. This facility, staffed by a dedicated contingent of medical professionals and trained volunteers, will provide a venue for those still recuperating from COVID-19 - but not needing hospitalization - to do so in a safe, contained building before being released home. Having this resource offers our healthcare community some peace of mind that there is a relief valve available to them if needed.”

2 Opportunities To Call Into Briefings With Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro Wednesday

On Wednesday morning at 8 am, Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro joins Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce in a telecall to answer questions.

Business TeleCall Breakfast:

The Chamber continues its tradition of a monthly Contact Breakfast by presenting a “virtual breakfast” on Wednesday, April 15, from 8 to 9 am. As previously scheduled, Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro will be the featured speaker, and he will provide an update for the business and nonprofit communities as well as taking questions from listeners and viewers. There are multiple ways to listen to and view the call:

Facebook pages: Dutchess County’s Facebook page, and Dutchess County Chamber of Commerce Facebook page. The County Executive encouraged people to write their questions into the livestream on the call.

Zoom: Click here.

Phone: Dial and listen, (845) 765-7121. Callers will be able to ask questions, according to Marc Molinaro’s COVID-19 update via YouTube.

Town Hall TeleCall

At 5:30 pm, the County Executive will host a 90-minute Town Hall with an update to assisting those in need via the Dutchess Responds Relief effort.

Phone: Call (845) 765-7121 to listen in. Questions will be taken via the call. Call in to ask questions.

Facebook: The Town Hall will be streamed on Dutchess County’s Facebook page. People can ask questions in the livestream.

Governor Cuomo Directs Flags To Fly At Half Mast - Beacon Honors The Directive - 14 Died In Dutchess County So Far - 23 Die In One Day In Orange County

Photo Credit: Anthony Ruggiero, City Administrator for the City of Beacon

On April 8, 2020, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed that flags be flown at half-mast “in honor of those we have lost to to COVID-19,” according to his press release. In the Governor’s nightly briefing email, he said: “We continue to mourn the New Yorkers we have lost to this vicious virus. I will issue an Executive Order to bring additional funeral directors to New York to help with the high number of deaths due to COVID-19. There are no words that can express our grief and heartbreak at the lives we have lost. It is a loss to the very fabric of New York.”

Beacon lowered the flags to half mast, as announced by Mayor Lee Kyriacou in a COVID-19 briefing call to residents: “Beacon’s flags are flying at half-staff, as we mourn fellow New Yorkers who have succumbed to COVID-19, which tragically now exceeds 7,000 deaths statewide and 14 here in Dutchess County. We will continue to fly at half-staff during the NYS PAUSE.”

The Dutchess County Impact Dashboard lists the number of deaths as 10 as of today, but the numbers on that dashboard are a bit lower than the New York State tracker. We will take the mayor’s number on this. Home deaths that are likely connected to COVID-19 are also not counted in New York’s reporting system at this time, as first reported by Gothamist. Where the average was 25 people dying at home per day in New York City, the number grew to 280 people who had died in their home by the time the fire department was able to respond, according to NPR.

The mayor also reported that there are 79 “active cases” in Beacon. Today in Dutchess County, 98 new people tested positive for COVID-19, according to the New York State Department of Health Tracker.

In Orange County on Monday, County Executive Steve Neuhaus announced in his daily COVID-19 briefing that that 23 county residents had been lost to COVID-19 in just the last 24 hours.

The Record Online reported this week that cases are expected to grow in this region, saying: “The coronavirus outbreak is taking a more serious toll as it pushes northward in the Hudson Valley, with COVID-19 fatalities in Orange County nearly doubling since Friday and Ulster County warning it could run out of hospital beds this week.”

FINANCE: Debt Collection Removed From "Essential Business" List - Now Non-Essential

The New York State “essentials” vs “non-essentials” list is updated on an ongoing basis. As of yesterday (April 8, 2020), an edit was made to the Financial Services section of the Essential Businesses list. Debt Collection is no longer considered an essential business.

Assemblyperson Jonathan Jacobson’s office today reached out to A Little Beacon Blog about this update, stating: “New York State has issued an updated list of what is and what isn’t considered essential services and explicitly bans debt collection.” Assemblyperson Jacobson’s office gets daily updates from Governor Andrew Cuomo’s office, with an overview of changes.

Here is the change to the Essential Businesses section:

7. Financial Institutions including

banks or lending institution
insurance
payroll
accounting
services related to financial markets, except debt collection

As of April 9, 2020, this definition is included as guidance for essential vs non-essential businesses on the New York State Coronavirus website: “With respect to business or entities that operate or provide both essential and non-essential services, supplies or support, only those lines and/or business operations that are necessary to support the essential services, supplies, or support are exempt from the workforce reduction restrictions.”

New York Launches First Responders Fund; Blackstone Makes $10M Donation, and $5M Donation To Food Security

During Monday’s daily COVID-19 briefing, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new fund, the First Responders Fund, to assist COVID-19 health care workers and first responders with expenses and costs, including child care. The fund is open to all to contribute to, and is accepting donations.

The first donation announced was a $10 million contribution from Blackstone, one of the world’s leading investment firms who seeks to create positive economic impact and long-term value for their investors, the companies in which they invest, and the communities in which they live and work, according to their website. They serve institutional investors around the world, including retirement systems that represent tens of millions of teachers, firefighters and other pensioners.

A second donation has been made to help with food security. According to Blackstone’s news release: “Additionally, the firm is donating $5 million to organizations providing food security and resources for New Yorkers in need. City Harvest, World Central Kitchen, Great Performances and Slice Out Hunger are all working to provide meals for healthcare workers, first responders and other vulnerable populations. Contributions to our nonprofit partners such as Coalition for the Homeless, Union Settlement and Covenant House New York, among others, have helped provide critical support to at-risk communities affected by COVID-19. You can read the full announcement here.”

To donate, Gov. Cuomo directs you to donate directly through Health Research Incorporated, which you can access here, or by check mailed to "Health Research, Inc., 150 Broadway, Suite 560, Menands, NY 12204." Donors should specify the donation is for "COVID-19 NYS Emergency Response."

According to its website: “Health Research, Inc. (HRI) contributes to the health and well-being of the people of New York State by complementing and enabling the strategic goals of the New York State Department of Health and its partners. Donations to Health Research, Inc. are put to immediate use to further public health and research programs.”

Beacon's City Council Meetings Move To Video-Conference; Public Can Dial In; Live Footage Available

Like all of the Main Street shops who want to stay in touch with people and continue selling to them, the City of Beacon has been making progress in technology as well. Not only can you now pay your water bill online, but Beacon’s City Council meetings have moved to video-conference only, where council members are meeting from their own remote locations.

Each councilperson’s head can be seen on the screen, and the conversation happens from there, with legal updates from the City Attorney, and all of the regular answers from the City Planner regarding zoning. The meeting can be streamed live at a channel on YouTube, and the public can ask questions (when appropriate) by dialing into the number below.

The Video Conference Press Release From The City of Beacon:

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE, that effective immediately and based upon notices and health advisories issued by Federal, State and Local officials related to the COVID-19 virus, the City Council will not hold in-person meetings. Until further notice, all future City Council meetings (including public hearings) will be held via videoconferencing, as permitted by the NYS Open Meetings Law.

Due to public health and safety concerns, the public will not be permitted to attend at the remote locations where the City Council members will be situated. The public, however, will be able to fully observe the video-conference meeting and comment during regular City Council meetings (i.e for public hearings and during designated public comment periods).

To the extent internet access is not available, the public can attend and comment via telephone by dialing 1-929-205-6099 and entering the Webinar ID 285 630 104.

The City Council’s agenda is available online in advance of meetings at http://www.cityofbeacon.org/index.php/agendas- minutes/. The public can email written comments or questions for regular City Council Meetings by 5 pm on the day of the meeting, addressed to cityofbeacon@cityofbeacon.org.

Any member of the public who has questions should contact the City Administrator in advance of the meeting at (845) 838-5010 or aruggiero@cityofbeacon.org.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that any Executive Session of the Council will be initiated with the Council first convening on the public videoconferencing site, and then adopting a motion to go into Executive Session.

PLEASE TAKE FURTHER NOTICE, that the City Council Meeting of Monday, April 6, 2020 at 7 pm can be accessed live at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvPpigGwZDeR7WYmw-SuDxg. Please note that there is a 20-second delay on the YouTube Live Stream.

School and Non-Essential Bizes Closed To April 29; Regents Exams Canceled; Fines Doubled for Social Distancing Violations

Today, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivered hopeful news that social distancing may be working, as the increase of total number of infections is lower than what was originally projected, as reported in Forbes. As spring approaches, Cuomo encouraged people during his daily briefing to not let up on the social distancing, and increased fines for violations from $500 to $1,000. That includes non-essential gatherings with families who are not in Sphere Lock with each other (like if you get together with good friends, or if you have your cousins over).

Governor Cuomo has been tough yet understanding when it comes to social distancing, letting people figure it out on their own when outside. However, when he witnessed basketball and soccer games continue on a daily basis, as well as social gatherings at kids playgrounds, he warned that they’d need to close them down, in the name of social distancing and the inability to clean the surfaces at the playground. By April 1, the Governor banned basketball games and contact sports.

As quoted in Politico: “I talked about this for weeks. I warned people that if they didn’t stop the density and the games in the playgrounds — you can’t play basketball, you can’t come into contact with each other — that we would close the playgrounds,” Cuomo said. “Use the open space in a park. Walk around, get some sun, great. No density. No basketball games. No close contact. No violation of social distancing, period. That’s the rule.”

When pressed by a reporter today during the briefing on what else the governor could do to curb groups gathering, the governor responded that it is up to the enforcement at local levels.

Fines Increased For Violations of Social Distancing

Possibly more problematic for New York City, the fines for not social distancing were increased from $500 to $1,000. Beaconites have been complying pretty well. It should be noted, that if an area of an open space is crowded, simply find another place, for your own protection.

Regents Exams Canceled

The Board of Regents has canceled the Regents Exams for this year, as announced by Beacon Schools’ Superintendent Matt Landahl.

The Medical Mask Shortage - The Gown Shortage - The PPE Shortage - Despite The Millions Of Donations

Writing about the shortage of masks, gowns, face shields, etc. feels incomprehensible. This is partly because we are hearing about a shortage of masks/gowns/gloves/etc. from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (and any other state governor you listen to), yet the White House announces that companies like Jockey are repositioning themselves to make the masks and the cloth materials. Gov. Cuomo will gratefully acknowledge a donation of “1 million desperately needed surgical masks for New York's essential workers in collaboration with New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and China's Consul General Huang Ping.”

Haute Couture Designer Christian Siriano has converted his design shop to making masks for medical workers during the shortage of official CDC grade N95 masks. The CDC issues emergency-grade mask guidelines, and that is what he and other makers are stitching as quickly as possible
Photo Credit: @csiriano

Yet medical professionals in the field just don’t have the masks and are using bandanas and whatever they can find to protect themselves. Even Vogue is writing about it, pointing out that China had temporarily halted production and export of the masks due to their own quarantine issues. Vogue and others are pushing for design companies to shift production to make masks, gowns, etc. Gov. Cuomo is very upset about the China production reality, and brings it up now at daily briefings. New York makers and some Beaconites saw this coming, and started a sewing group to specifically sew masks for medical workers: NY Mask-Makers Supporting Our COVID-19 Avengers! (accepting hospitals) tightly moderated by Rena Leinberger.

Some haute couture designers, like Christian Siriano (former “Project Runway” winner and known for his fantastical designs), have completely turned their U.S. production studios into mask-making factories. A modern English tailoring company, Reeves Bespoke (lives in Beacon! ALBB wrote about them here) has put their team, normally based in Union Square, to work in their homes on their home sewing machines to stitch masks for medical front-liners. The shirt maker Mel Gambert has converted his small shop of 17 people to stitch two types of medical masks.

Ask any medical professional friend of yours, and the answer will be the same. My friend in Maine whose Dad came out of retirement to work the front lines texted me today to say that he still did not have an N95 mask. He started serving two weeks ago. So many masks are used during the course of the day, the demand for them is staggering.

Because of the state of emergency, the CDC has issued approval for others to make masks that follow a set of guidelines, which you can look at here. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine brought up an Ohio company, Battelle Labs, who developed technology for an N95 mask sterilizer machine years ago, that had grown dusty waiting for FDA approval. The machine could have sterilized a single N95 mask 20 times for re-use instead of trash. That approval, after a lot of arm-wrestling, came last week. As reported by WCPO Cincinnati:

“The FDA, after appeals from Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, has approved Columbus-based company Battelle’s new technology to disinfect N95 masks, conceding to the company’s request for permission to clean up to 80,000 masks a day for healthcare professionals on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

”Early Sunday morning, the FDA had given Battelle permission to use the technology, but only to clean 10,000 masks per machine, per day. By contrast, the company was requesting clearance to clean 80,000 masks per machine, per day.

”During a heated press conference Sunday afternoon, Governor Mike DeWine called the Food and Drug Administration ‘reckless,’ and asked the agency to allow Battelle Labs to move forward with mask-sterilizing technology.

"‘We have been waiting and waiting and waiting,’ said DeWine. ‘Let us move forward,’ DeWine said, pouding on the podium during his Sunday news conference. ‘We have to protect people on the frontline.’

“‘This has the ability to help,’ Governor DeWine continued. ‘The urgency of getting these online … is not just for Ohioans. It is for the people throughout the country.’”

The FDA eventually did approve the 80,000, and the president did talk about it during a White House briefing. But there are only a handful of machines in the world at the moment. Boston is getting one soon, and is dedicating a vacant former Kmart store to be a location to disinfect the masks.

The Mask Shortage Was Well-Known Among Medical Professionals

Prior to the coronavirus wake-up call, a nurse I talked to in Beacon was already woke to the collapse of the health care system, and knew that the hospital system would be crushed because the United States and hospitals were not prepared with the supplies. Governor Cuomo has been calling for PPE supplies from the beginning - roughly 30 days ago now - and gratefully acknowledges when a donation is announced. The verbal confirmation of that gives a moment of relief. But.

The masks are not in hand as hospitals fill up. New York City hospitals are already full, pushing one of the first overflow hospitals at the Javits Center to open up to COVID-19 patients. Originally, the overflow hospital was reserved for non-COVID-19 patients, but already, the 2,500 beds are needed for COVID-19. “As it turned out,” said Governor Cuomo in his 4/3/2020 briefing, “we don’t have non-COVID people to any great extent in the hospitals. Hospitals have turned into effectively ICU hospitals for COVID patients. We wanted to convert Javits from non-COVID to COVID.” The governor had to push for federal approval on that, since the Javits Center was set up and staffed by federal workers. After a push to the president, the governor got the approval.

This Is How Many N95 Masks Are Needed

To give you an idea of the how large an amount of N95 masks are needed - New York had 53,000 hospital beds, and Governor Cuomo has anticipated needing 113,000 beds. That doesn’t include the ICU beds which accompany the ventilators, used by people who are on in the worst stages of COVID-19. New York State has 3,000 ICU beds, and needs 18,000, but possibly 37,000. Governor Cuomo mandated that elective surgeries stop, and that hospitals get creative with finding room for more beds within their facilities (New York has also purchased a lot more beds to fill the space). And that’s just one state. There are 50 states who are facing this pandemic. Now you see why a donated amount of 1 million masks is amazing, but is a drop in the bucket. And that doesn’t account for gowns, and everything else.

Where Are The Masks?

Reporters during the press briefings are quick to ask if the masks or PPE equipment has shipped, and where it is. Which hospital. Governor Cuomo answers as best he can. Reports at different media outlets will come out, chasing the PPE equipment, and the cycle goes on to figure out how to get enough PPE equipment (masks, gowns, face shields, etc.) This week, the governor announced that the hospitals would be forced to work together, in order to spread the PPE around as needed.

The Makers Get Involved In Mask Making

Enter the Makers. The sewers and stitchers of the world are stitching as fast as their presser feet will sew on their home machines to constantly churn out emergency-medical grade masks for the front line medical workers within their localities. In St. Louis, Dr. Timothy Lancaster, MD Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Barnes Jewish Hospital, whose wife is a friend of mine, was doing something that shocked her: he was “talking via Facebook Messenger Video with a (thorough, thoughtful, very generous) crafter from Missouri” who was doing a deep dive on her research for making the hand-stitched masks - that are not comparable to an N95 mask made with CDC guidelines (as per the Comment below, to make sure this is clear). She is one of many, many crafters around the country making these masks now.

Makers doing this work are fueled by the desire and ability to help. And their maker spheres are filled with adrenaline to help and hopefully impact even one medical worker.

But the sense of systems failing have some angry as they stitch (and you don’t want an angry stitcher). Says one Beaconite who wanted to remain anonymous: “It doesn’t feel good to make them. It feels terrible. I feel awful and it hurts to sit there for hours making them. Our government has failed us and the fact that I, a former costume designer, have had to start making dozens of masks is very frustrating. I get 2-5 inquiries a day to make masks for people. And I say Yes and ask for a donation to Fareground Food + Community instead of payment. But it’s a lot. It takes hours of my day and I admit I have to take breaks. I’m also trying to work my job and take care of my kids at home and cook and clean for 5 people.”

Article on that to come next. But first, you’ll hear from two Beaconites: Josephine Johnston (bioethics researcher) and Katherine Wheeler-Martin (an epidemiologist) on when these homemade masks are acceptable in healthcare settings during crisis situations.

Do You Manufacture Clothing? New York State Is Hiring

Governor Cuomo wants to ramp up production in your production environment. He tweets and says during daily briefings: “We need more supplies. We need your help. If you can manufacture PPE I urge you to do so. New York can offer funding. Email Covid19supplies@esd.ny.gov.”

New Group Created For Quarantined People and Folks Who Need Help: Beacon Mutual Aid

Photo Credit: Logo from the Beacon Mutual Aid website.

The first thoughts of quarantine were scary: How will I get my things? How will I get my groceries? How will I get my special shampoo (admit it - you thought it, and then you remembered that most brands and boutique hair salons are shipping). Beacon Mutual Aid has emerged as a group of volunteers who are helping to connect those dots - your need, and how to make it happen. Help is available in Spanish and English.

Weeks into our Stay-At-Home Life here in Beacon, NY, we have adjusted to new ways of shopping for food (easy Key Food runs for well-stocked and disinfected shelves, Beacon Natural for new curbside pickup and delivery options and new hours, Beacon Farmers Market, open for pre-order and pickup with possible delivery option, Artisan Wine Shop making deliveries, and several of your favorite boutiques making personal deliveries or shipping through the mail.

The deeper thoughts are scarier: What if I get sick? Who will care for my kids if I’m a solo parent? What if I’m too sick to feed myself? How will I get my prescriptions? Grocery delivery via Peapod isn’t as fast or well stocked with brands (two-week wait time is common), so insta-in-person-to-friend requests are faster for getting what you need. Volunteers have offered to help with deliveries, so at this time in Beacon, you are surrounded by help. All you need to do is ask.

While Governor Andrew Cuomo has been trying to address these needs as he leads us to the apex by strongly encouraging that pharmacies deliver medications (a recent agreement 3/29/2020… if you’re hiring delivery people, post your job for free here on A Little Beacon Blog), Beaconites were ahead of the curve.

Beacon Mutual Aid Group Pops Up - To Help Anyone

An example of a request made by a Facebook member of Beacon Mutual Aid, in search of an item for a neighbor.
Photo Credit: Screenshot of Beacon Mutual Aid

Beacon Mutual Aid was spearheaded by Dara Silverman and developed by many, including Virginia Beata, who stepped in to help manage. At first it was based on Facebook, and then grew to have a website so that more people could request help, and has been taking requests for help from anyone who lives in Beacon. The number of volunteers in the group quickly rose from 80 to 200, and now possibly more. According to the website, the concept was based on similar community-need models in other states: “Thank you to Mutual Aid Medford and Somerville, Community Care and Mutual Aid Milwaukee, Mutual Aid Solidarity Network of Seattle and others who are models for this work.”

Requests that come in can be for anything: a grocery request from a quarantined mom who wonders how to do meal pickup (answer: arrange for delivery with the Beacon City School district! email landahl.m@beaconk12.org to sign up for delivery), to a request on behalf of someone’s neighbor who broke their foot and needs a standing wheel scooter.

While people can officially make a request for help from Beacon Mutual Aid via a form on Beacon Mutual Aid’s website, people in-the-know can connect with each other quickly via Facebook to ask questions or put out a request - even on behalf of their neighbor who has no connection to computers or the Internet. But you don’t need to be on Facebook to use the group. You don’t even have to know how to use the Internet to use the group.

“Do I Need To Know Someone To Use The Group?”

The beautiful thing about the group is that it spurs a person to think about their neighbor. While Mayor Lee Kyriacou encourages citizens to check on their neighbors in his COVID-related robo-calls to residents, this group has split into “pods,” where people coordinate with their own neighbors or blocks to be vocal in the group to ask for something on behalf of their neighbor who may have no access to Facebook, or the Internet, or be comfortable with asking others for help at all. You don’t need to have a “pod” to use the group. You can be a random, unaffiliated person in Beacon.

Personally, I have been calling my slightly senior citizen neighbor to ask if she needs grocery pickups. Recently I have been letting my younger (40s) solo neighbor know that should he get sick and have no one there, to text me. Call 911 in an emergency of course, but text me, too. Keep me in the loop for any needs. As for my divorced single mom neighbor, of course she knows I am there for her for anything, but recently, I planted the seed of: “What if your ex-husband gets sick, and we know his parents are too old to physically care for him? Have you considered this scenario, since he lives alone?”

No one wants to feel alone in this quarantined, social-distanced life, and the Beacon Mutual Aid Group has helped aid in that.

How To Use The Beacon Mutual Aid Group

Anyone can use it, and no request is too small. According to Dara’s quote in The Highlands Current, they get a lot of requests for soap and groceries. I personally have used it to find experts in certain fields for quotes and resources for articles here at A Little Beacon Blog. They are also very connected to the handmade mask movement that started weeks ago to address known shortages for masks (yes, Governor Cuomo said today that they did not predict this shortage, but this had been a known fact inside of hospitals if you had any friends who were working the front lines in hospitals, despite the White House saying that shipments were coming from whatever large company contributing to the cause).

Activating Help Within The Beacon Mutual Aid Group

Need something? Fill out this Request For Help form.

Want to offer your help? Fill out this Offers form.

Organize a neighborhood “pod.” Check out the directions and examples here. It even includes a flyer you could print out just to familiarize people with the concept. Paper printouts always ground people. The concept is as follows, from Beacon Mutual Aid’s website:
”As things get harder, we show up for our neighbors. As a neighborhood point person, you’d take on the responsibility of reaching out to your neighbors, checking in on what needs are arising on your block, coordinating a neighborhood group chat or phone tree, and staying in touch with the point people from other neighborhoods for resource pooling. We are trying to build a network of many neighborhood pods across Beacon.”

This may be a new concept for skeptical New Yorkers, who aren’t used to having anyone in their business. Even if you don’t sign up for this, or put in a request, you still could act as a point person for one or two of your neighbors.

Regardless, the Beacon Mutual Aid Group is here for you.

Fill out your request on their website, or if that’s too much, call or email:
beaconmutualaid@gmail.com
(845) 206-9836

Donating To Beacon Mutual Aid

More and more, Beacon Mutual Aid is behind some pretty amazing initiatives. Like Free Groceries at the meal pickups for Beacon City Schools parents. This is huge. It is open for anyone, and targeting those in need. Those of us who have just lost jobs, client projects, and had income freeze, the extra head of lettuce and bag of rice has been a welcome take-home as bills pile up. Says Dara: “All the donations have been used to buy groceries for people who can’t afford them.”

Donate to Beacon Mutual Aid via venmo via mutualaidbeacon, as they tap into farms and other organizations to make this happen. If you don’t have Venmo (as this blogger does not use Venmo) then email them at beaconmutualaid@gmail.com to see how to send a check.

Be well.

4 Die In Dutchess County Thursday; 44 Total Cases In Beacon; Dr. Fauci Says U.S. Is "Actively Considering" Mask Use To Block Own Breath

This evening, Dutchess County sent out its notification that four people had passed today, Thursday 4/2/2020, due to coronavirus complications. Their announcement in full is below. Also this evening, Beacon Mayor Lee Kyriacou and Councilperson George Mansfield robocalled with several COVID-19-related announcements, including that Beacon currently has 44 cases of the novel coronavirus. You can track the numbers here at Dutchess County’s Dashboard. Announcements by Dutchess County such as this one may be ahead of the dashboard.

Of today’s deaths, three of the four people who passed were men, and one man was young - 28 years old. All had underlying conditions.

It should also be noted that a letter was issued to the White House today by Dr. Harvey Fineberg, chairman of a committee with the National Academy of Sciences, who stressed that coronavirus can be passed by breathing, or in conversation. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and advises the White House, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and the U.S. via television appearances, did not disagree, and agreed that the U.S. was considering use of masks for people doing their errands, especially if they don’t know that they have the coronavirus.

The reason for the masks would be to help prevent the virus from leaving your own mouth via droplets to float in the air or onto someone else. If a person is asymptomatic, and doesn’t know that they have it, they might be talking to someone and spread it. Dr. Fauci stresses that the best deterrent is for people to stay 6 feet apart (social distancing). He and the other White House medical advisor, Dr. Deborah Birx, warned today that the use of masks could cause the wearer of a mask to become lax in their social distancing. They may think they are protected/harmless, and will walk near people, and continue to touch their eyes, ears and nose. All points of entries for the virus, despite wearing a mask. This issue is being evaluated currently for an official recommendation of mask-wearing, Dr. Birx said today during the White House briefing, and Dr. Fauci said later on CNN on Anderson Cooper’s show.

In Putnam County, the Putnam County Commissioner of Health has issued a “stay-at-home” order, aka Standing Isolation Order, to people testing positive for coronavirus, according to the Putnam Daily Voice. People face fines of $2,000 for not obeying the order. There are many details to this order, especially concerning whether a person was ill, or is asymptomatic, which you can read about here.

The Dutchess County death briefing is below:

The Dutchess County Department of Behavioral & Community Health (DBCH) has confirmed four additional Dutchess County resident deaths relating to COVID-19 as reported by local hospitals and the Dutchess County Medical Examiners Office. All patients had underlying conditions that were risk factors; none were under DBCH monitoring.

Age and gender of the deceased are as follows:

83-year-old female
79-year-old male
82-year-old male
28-year-old male

County Executive Marc Molinaro said, “Today brings more heartbreaking loss for Dutchess County and we extend our prayers and condolences to the families and friends of these four neighbors. We have a long battle ahead of us and we must all do our part to end this pandemic. Dutchess County Government, healthcare professionals, first responders and other essential workers are fighting on the front line to support those who need health during this crisis. We need the support of every citizen to keep doing their part – stay home; stay healthy; stop the spread.”

Behavioral and Community Health Commissioner Dr. Anil Vaidian said, “Testing is more widely available in our community. If you believe you have symptoms, especially if you have other health risk factors, please contact your primary-care physician to be tested and ensure follow-up monitoring. Just as importantly, for all those who are healthy – stay home to stay healthy and keep others healthy. It is possible to have COVID-19 and not be experiencing symptoms, which is why staying home is critical – so you don’t pass it along to someone with a weaker immune system. Stay home and save lives."

There are now more than 590 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Dutchess County. There have been a total of nine deaths to date as well as nearly 40 people confirmed as recovered (individuals who have resolved symptoms and are no longer being monitored by DBCH).