North Shore libraries are shutting their doors temporarily in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
The announcement has come after multiple levels of government, including New York State and the White House declared state of emergencies Thursday and Friday, respectively. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has called for a shutdown of all public gathering of 500 people or more.
Emma S. Clark Memorial Library
Setauket’s Emma S. Clark Memorial Library announced March 13 that the building will be closed from Saturday, March 14, through at least Sunday, March 22.
The library will be evaluating the coronavirus situation to decide what will happen after March 22.
Patrons won’t accrue a late fee if items are due. The library asked that residents not bring materials to the book drop or leave them outside the building during this time.
Smithtown Library
On March 13, the Smithtown Library also notified patrons on its website and social media that all buildings would be closed until further noticed.
Book drops at all four library buildings will be closed until the library reopens. All fines accrued while its closed will be waived.
Port Jefferson Free Library
The Port Jefferson Free Library has closed its doors effective March 13 until further notice due to coronavirus concerns.
Patrons will not accrue any late fees on checked-out items while the library is closed.
Comsewogue Public Library
The Comsewogue Public Library is closed Sunday, March 15 and Monday, March 16. The library will open at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday for a board of trustees meeting that is open to the public. The discussion topics will be on Covid 19.
North Shore Public Library
The North Shore Public Library will be closed starting March 16 until further notice. The outside book drop is closed, and all patrons will not incur any late fees while the library is shut down.
Devin Rotunno, a native of Port Jeff, is made to wear a mask when she travels outside her room at quarantine in SBU's Southampton campus. Photo from Rotunno
In little more than a week, Port Jefferson native Devin Rotunno’s life has been turned upside down, and though the coronavirus pandemic has impacted many, for students learning overseas, recent events have been dramatic.
Jokingly, Devin Rotunno put up a sign in her dorm at SBU’s Southampton campus noting the number of days she’s been in quarantine. Photo from Rotunno
On Tuesday, March 3, Rotunno was in Florence, Italy, studying fashion among the great Renaissance-era domed cathedrals and aged orange-tile roofed buildings. By late Saturday, March 7, she was back in the U.S., holed up in a small dorm room in Stony Brook University’s Southampton campus. In quarantine, she’s only allowed to go outside her room to go to the bathroom or to pick up her food from the lobby. She is on a floor with two other students, but none are allowed out together at the same time. When out, they must wear a mask at all times.
“If you asked me last week, Tuesday, if I would be leaving, I would have literally thought you were crazy,” she said.
Still, as the days drag by, the 19-year old has had to find ways to fill the time — a full 14 days of quarantine before she’s finally out March 21. Experts have said COVID-19 has a two-week gestation period, and she is among well over 150 people in quarantine in Suffolk County, both mandatory and voluntary.
As a first-year student at the Fashion Institute of Technology, being taught at the Polimoda International Institute of Fashion Design and Marketing in Florence had been an incredible experience. On March 3, Italy had yet to institute its nationwide shutdown, and Rotunno said she had seen people still living their lives as they had just a month before, however with a few more people were being cautious by wearing masks and gloves.
Late Wednesday, March 4, that all changed. Students studying abroad received emails from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security telling them they had to leave and return to the U.S. They were given a day to pack their things and either book flights themselves or take a flight guaranteed by the federal government. When the freshman college student received the news, she was working on a midterm project.
“Our program director — she knew how much we wanted to stay — she was figuring out online classes for us,” Rotunno said.
The students in her class handed in all their assignments, even if they weren’t fully done.
The students boarded a Delta flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport, just around 70 kids from SUNY schools together on the flight. When they landed, instead of being taken through the airport proper, they were led to a hanger where two buses awaited them. The majority went on one bus to SUNY Brockport. The fashion student went on the other bus, where students who said they were self-quarantining were dropped off at Stony Brook University’s main campus, while the rest were taken to the Southampton location, arriving there Saturday, March 7 at 11 p.m.
Devin Rotunno helps kids plant seeds using her Gold Award project Aug. 10, 2018 at the Long Island Explorium on East Broadway in Port Jefferson. File photo by Alex Petroski
She now lives in a suite with two people living in separate dorms across the hall from her. She speaks with them on a group text, but she doesn’t have much communication with them. Most of the time the way she knows they’re there is from hearing them move in their rooms or their feet as they walk down the hall.
“I was joking around with my friends — I was sending them pictures saying, ‘Look, I’m in the Hamptons,’ sending them a picture of the street and cars going by,” she said.
For now, she’s catching up on some Netflix shows and doing work for all her classes which are soon to be hosted online. While some of her basic lectures will likely translate easily enough, some of her classes, which have required draping and sewing, will have to be largely abstracted.
It’s been hard to watch things go on from the inside of quarantine. She said friends had already booked flights to visit her in Florence for spring break, but those plans have been somewhat quashed. When President Donald Trump (R) announced a 30-day travel ban to all European countries save Great Britain and Ireland, she herself panicked as not all her stuff from Italy has yet arrived, but she said she’s received word the rest of her items should be arriving soon.
Despite the initial confusion and anger of being pulled out of Italy with barely enough time to make sure her things were packed and hand in last-minute assignments, she said she understands why this is necessary.
“When everything was on lockdown, it was the right decision,” she said.
The children's section of the Port Jefferson Free Library. File photo by Heidi Sutton
The Port Jefferson Free Library has closed its doors effective March 13 until further notice due to coronavirus concerns.
Library Director Tom Donlon announced it late Friday after the library administration and board of trustees came to the decision it was necessary to “protect the health and well being of patrons and staff,” according to an email statement.
The announcement has come after multiple levels of government, including New York State and the White House declared a state of emergencies Thursday and Friday, respectively. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) has called for a shutdown of all public gathering of 500 people or more.
“The library fully appreciates and understands the disappointment and disruption that this action will cause, but finds that it is paramount to preserve to the greatest extent possible the safety of our patrons and staff during this declared state of emergency,” a statement from the library read.
Patrons will not accrue any late fees on checked-out items while the library is closed.
The statement also asked patrons to consult the library’s website, portjefflibrary.org, for ongoing developments. Online services including Overdrive, Hoopla and Kanopy are still available from the library’s website.
Phone scammers have used a number of tactics to get unassuming people to hand over their money, but one con has police and a Long Island utility company especially concerned.
Some scammers have been claiming they are employees of a utility company like PSEG Long Island, and then tell a person their bill is in arrears. They threaten to turn off heat or electricity if they do not receive hundreds or even thousands of dollars, often in the form of a gift card instead of the normal check or direct deposit.
“The elderly might not say anything because they may be embarrassed.”
— Stuart Cameron
Such is what happened to Setauket resident Candy Maeder, who said she was called March 5 by a person claiming to be from the utility company. The man on the phone said Maeder was late on her bills and her service would be shut off in a matter of hours if she didn’t give them hundreds of dollars in cash. She said they would not even take a debit card over the phone.
“I fought with them back and forth,” the Setauket resident said. “At first, I really believed it was them.”
After hanging up the phone, and after talking with her boyfriend and also her electrician, she came to the conclusion it had been a scam.
That day, she called PSEGLI and the police, but Maeder’s experience is all too common in the modern day — almost textbook with what others have experienced. Suffolk County police has records of the number of reports of phone scams received over the past several years. Records show the frequency of the PSEGLI scam has increased. In 2018, there were 56 reported cases of the scam throughout Suffolk. In 2019, police received 76 reports of scammers claiming they were PSEGLI, where people did not give them money. An additional 55 actually resulted in the scammers stealing money from victims for a total of 131. In January and February of this year, police have received reports of 30 scams so far.
Suffolk County Police Chief Stuart Cameron said scammers are always coming up with novel frauds, but the PSEGLI scam has been on the rise. Like many scams, it particularly targets the most vulnerable residents, such as the elderly, who particularly can’t afford to be out several thousand dollars as some scammers demand.
“The elderly might not say anything because they may be embarrassed,” he said. “Scammers play on that type of fear and embarrassment to exploit money from those residents who are probably in the worst position to lose money like this.”
New Jersey-based PSEG has been tracking this scam even before taking over the electric infrastructure portion of LIPA’s business from National Grid in 2014. Robert Vessichelli, the senior security investigator for PSEGLI, said the actual number of people falling for the scam has decreased over the years. In 2019 the utility company received notice of 6,574 scams for the whole of Long Island, where 305 of those fell victim to the scammers. The con artists often ask for as little as a few hundred dollars and up to several thousand.
“The best way to combat these scams is by educating the public,” Vessichelli said. “When I learn people haven’t heard of the scam, it kind of concerns us.”
Tracking these individuals is difficult, even when scammers are calling locally. While the police chief said they have made some arrests, the suspects often do a process to their phone numbers called “spoofing,” making their caller ID on answering machines appear as a completely separate number, even making it out to look like it was coming from PSEGLI or even police.
The Long Island utility company has been participating in a national campaign to promote awareness of phone scams. Utilities United Against Scams, a U.S. and Canadian consortium of utility companies, ran the campaign during National Consumer Protection Week March 1-7 to promote scam awareness. Vessichelli said the consortium uses its influence to block the numbers of callers they confirm are from scammers, but of course the perpetrators will simply move on to use a different phone number. Sometimes, these calls come from people outside the U.S.
The scam comes in multiple forms. While often it’s a person on the phone proclaiming a bill is in arrears, con artists also conduct phishing schemes by telling people they are owed money from overpayment and ask for bank account information. They may also call saying they need a deposit for a new meter, though PSEGLI does not charge a deposit for such a thing.
“At first, I really believed it was them.”
— Candy Maeder
One of the more frightening tactics is when charlatans show up in person at people’s houses claiming they are utility employees. When such people come to the door, Vessichelli said its best to call PSEGLI to confirm those are legitimate employees. The security expert suggested if they show ID, ask to take a picture for you to send to the utility to confirm identities.
Warning signs are often readily apparent. If a resident receives a cold call without any prior email or snail mail notifications, that’s usually a bad sign. Another sure sign is if they ask for any nontraditional form of payment, such as asking you to buy gift cards which the person then asks for those to be scratched off, or a payment of cash by drop off or in person.
These are points often seen across all sorts of scams, so police’s general advice is to not relay any kind of personal information, such as your name or the name of family members or where you live. Scammers often take private information off social media such as Facebook, so if one starts hearing familiar names, don’t take it as a sign they are who they say they are.
PSEGLI workers are required to wear photo IDs, so in meeting one of these scammers in person, a surefire sign is if they cannot produce such an identification.
Cameron said if one suspects a caller might be a scam, then one should hang up, get the number where called from and phone PSEGLI at 800-490-0025 or the police at 631-852-2677. For more information, visit www.psegliny.com/scam and www.utilitiesunited.org.
Landlord of MS Property Also Owns Historic Derelict House in Port Jeff
The house at 63 Shore Road is owned by TAB Suffolk Acquistions, the same company that owns a historic derelict house in Port Jefferson on Sheep Pasture Road.
Photo by Kyle Barr
Though it is just one of a huge slate of derelict homes the Town of Brookhaven deals with on a monthly basis, one house in Mount Sinai has been causing more issues than others recently.
At the Feb. 27 Town Board meeting, the council members voted to demolish a garage located at 63 Shore Drive in Mount Sinai, though the house would remain untouched.
The garage at 63 Shore Drive in Mount Sinai will soon be taken down if the property owner does not file permits. Photo by Kyle Barr
This set off a press of neighbors angry the Town would not be touching the residential part of the property, which they said has been a problem property for years.
Lynn Capobianco, a Mount Sinai resident and previous president of the school board, said while she appreciates the Town coming in with work crews to keep the property somewhat tame, the issue with the house remains.
“We’ve been saying that for a long time — it’s only in the last year the Town has started to listen,” she said.
In a 2019 report by Hauppauge-based firm Cashin Spinelli and Ferretti LLC, the building was cited as being “in extremely poor condition,” with the inside filled with trash and debris. Additionally, ceilings were collapsing due to water damage, with engineers also suspecting mold. The inspectors cited the property for multiple fire and safety violations. The house was originally boarded up after the report in June 2019.
Town officials said another reconnaissance of the property was done Feb. 24 of this year. Inspectors did not go into the residential portion of the property, said Brendan Sweeney, who works for the Town, often presenting to the board about these zombie homes. He also said the new analysis by the inspector, “did not certify the house was unsafe.”
The garage was reportedly collapsing with a building full of debris and garbage. Town officials said inspectors recommended the garage be torn down. The owner has 30 days to file permits showing he’s making an effort to fix the garage before the building is removed.
Some local residents took umbrage with this, citing the 2019 engineering report and their own personal dealings with the property. Several cited issues such as young people exploring the empty structure and animals inhabiting within.
Kerry Hogan, a neighbor who has worked in and taught construction arts, said on visits to the property the damage was such that the best recourse is to simply tear it down and build something new.
“Once I saw [the] condition, I knew I would not bid on the house when it became available,” she said at the meeting.
Councilwoman Jane Bonner (R-Rocky Point) directed all inquiries about the house and plans for demolition to the law department.
Town attorney Annette Eaderesto said the Town senior building inspector went to the house Feb. 24 and saw that the garage was in immediate danger of collapse, while the house wasn’t.
“This is not the first time we’ve taken down a shed or garage instead of the main residence first,” she said.
Part of the process, the Town attorney said, takes into account the house is in a transitional historic area. That requires a review from the Historic District Advisory Committee, which meets the second Tuesday of every month. The process is the same whether the building is in the transition zone or the historic district.
Edna Giffen, the recording secretary of the Miller Place-Mount Sinai Historical Society, said the transition zone is basically a buffer between the Town and the main historic district in Mount Sinai. While the rules affecting property are laxer in the transition zone than the main historic district, she confirmed the Town’s advisory committee still has to look at every permit for property in both.
Still, she said it was a shame to watch it and other houses deteriorate. Two other buildings, one in the main historic and the other in the transition zone, have been taken down by the Town since 2012 and the impact of Superstorm Sandy.
“It’s a sad situation it was allowed to deteriorate so much,” she said. “It’s like watching an old poor soul die a slow death.”
Town of Brookhaven notices of the public hearing and the stop-work order when the owner attempted to repair the roof. Photo by Kyle Barr
Since the 2008 mortgage crisis and subsequent recession, the Town has been inundated with thousands of these derelict or zombie homes. Brookhaven has taken the unique approach to dealing with the situation by taking care of flagrant properties, mowing the grass and boarding up homes, then putting liens on these properties. If owners cannot be reached or cannot handle reconstituting the property, then the Town will hire contractors to demolish them, putting the cost as additional liens on the property.
However, in this case, Town officials said they have come across hiccups due to the historic nature of the surrounding area. This does not mean the Town would not be able to demolish the full property in the future.
At the Feb. 27 meeting, Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) and Bonner both said they would like to do an additional engineering report on the property.
Neighbors also said the owner had brought in unlicensed contractors to fix the building’s roof in 2018, but after calls from residents the Town had put a stop-work order on that construction.
The property is owned by TAB Suffolk Acquisitions, an elusive real estate company reportedly based at 63 George St. in Roslyn Heights, according to the Town. Local officials, including from Port Jefferson village and state Assemblyman Steve Englebright (D-Setauket), have been on the hunt for the company owner as it has also purchased a derelict property at 49 Sheep Pasture Road in Port Jefferson. That house has significant historic worth, according to local historians. The assemblyman interjected before the property could be demolished by the village, and the house has remained boarded up ever since.
Sweeney said the owner of 63 Shore Drive had come to the meeting but left without speaking. He did not get the owner’s name.
Councilman Dan Panico (R-Manorville) said TAB Suffolk Acquisitions has bought up a lot of property in Suffolk foreclosures, according to their data from the comptroller’s office. Bonner criticized the company for sitting on such properties and not doing anything with them.
“There’s a lot of money coming out of the city and western Nassau — there’s a lot of property being bought up,” Panico said. “This is one of those companies that buys up a ton of houses.”
Neighbors said they knew the owner only as “Sam.” They said he has been cordial in the past but has largely been absent.
When called, the person on the other end who confirmed he was the owner of the property said they are in the process of getting permits from the Town to fix up the property, “within 30 days.”
He spoke about his prior attempts to fix the roof before the Town put a stop-work order on those repairs. As to residents’ complaints, he said residents have known and stayed silent on the state of the house for longer than recent efforts to demolish it.
“The house has been in this shape for years,” he said.
After he said his name was Sam, he hung up the phone and did not answer further calls for comment.
A scene from the annual Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick's Day in 2019. This year's parade has been postponed due to coronavirus. Photo by Kyle Barr
Local St. Patrick’s Day Parades have been postponed due to ongoing concerns of the spread of coronavirus. Some of these local events have not had to cancel a parade in their multi-decade lifetimes.
The reports of cancellations came through after a March 12 Suffolk County press conference, where county Executive Steve Bellone (D) and county health commissioner Dr. Gregson Pigott said it would be safer for all parades taking place on the 14th and 15th to postpone their events.
The New York City parade, which often draws thousands upon thousands in crowds, also announced March 11 it would postpone its parade. It was the first time in more than 250 years that the parade has been cancelled.
The Friends of St. Patrick, the nonprofit organization that puts on the Miller Place-Rocky Point St. Patrick’s Day Parade, announced it would be postponing the 70th annual 3-mile parade, which was originally scheduled for March 15.
“We want to thank all of our sponsors and participants for their continuing support of the parade,” the Friends posted to Facebook. “While the Friends of St. Patrick are naturally disappointed to have to make this decision, it is the right decision. We know how important the event is to our community and the decision was not made lightly. We will be back bigger and better than ever at our next parade and will celebrate twice as much next time.”
James McElhone, the treasurer of the Friends of St. Patrick, said the organization would be holding a meeting the night of March 12 to discuss if the date would be pushed to later or if it would be safer to wait until next year.
“This is the first time in 70 years we’ve had to do this,” McElhone said. “Then again for New York City, it’s the first time in over 200 years.
On Thursday morning, the St. James Chamber of Commerce, which puts on the St. James St. Patrick’s Day Parade also announced it would postpone “for a later date” over concerns of exposure.
Despite the calls for postponement, the 30th annual Ronkonkoma St, Patrick’s Day Parade is, as of writing, still planned for March 22 along Hawkins Avenue in Lake Ronkonkoma.
Suffolk officials said there are currently 16 confirmed cases within the county, with 49 others in mandatory quarantine and 76 others who are be in monitored in “cautionary quarantine,” having recently travelled.
Babylon Supervisor Rich Schaffer points to a chart showing the impact discovery law changes have had on small municipalities. Photo by David Luces
Town supervisors in Suffolk County say recent criminal justice reform has caused “unintended consequences” to municipalities and local code enforcement. They are asking the state to exempt small municipalities from new guidelines, among other things.
The issue they have is with the state’s new discovery provisions, which require names and contact information for complaints to be turned over within 15 days of arraignment. In turn, it has eliminated anonymity, which many municipalities rely on when it comes to handling code violations.
“You’re not going to call, you’re not going to complain, what does that do for the quality of life?”
— Ed Romaine
Rich Schaffer (D), Town of Babylon supervisor and chair of the county Democratic committee, said at a March 5 press conference they usually receive a lot of anonymous tips from concerned residents but have noticed many are not willing to come forward with the new changes.
“They don’t want to put their names down, and quite frankly we don’t want to [either],” he said. “We want to be able to go after the offenders and educate them on how to clean up their act and be a good neighbor.”
A letter signed by all of the county’s town supervisors was sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in January. The group said with the new standards in how case information is turned over to the courts, it means there are currently no distinctions between a homicide case and a “municipal code violation for high grass.”
The supervisors said the reform was rushed through the legislature and didn’t give municipalities enough time to formulate a public education campaign. In addition, the changes hurt them on a local level because the state “got involved in things that we didn’t need their involvement in,” Schaffer said.
Supervisors also complained the requirement for after issuing a summons, a court date must be set within 20 days. Officials said it used to take a month to process cases, but now there are four additional “hoops to jump through” to process a complaint. A case could take up to two years to be resolved.
Town of Brookhaven Supervisor Ed Romaine (R) said the criminal justice reform has had a “chilling effect on code enforcement.”
“So now, if you live next to a guy that has a house with two illegal apartments and four or five unregistered vehicles and trash on the property, if you call, we are obligated by state law to tell the guy next door that you called,” he said. “You’re not going to call, you’re not going to complain, what does that do for the quality of life?”
The four supervisors called on the state Legislature to pass a bill that would allow townships to handle their own code enforcement cases and reinstate anonymity.
State Sen. Jim Gaughran (D-Northport) and state Assemblyman Fred Thiele (I-Sag Harbor) are proposing bills that would allow anonymity for those reporting local code violations, let municipalities take these cases out of district court and allow them to create their own administrative bureau.
Chad Lupinacci (R), Town of Huntington supervisor, said many of the problems discussed can be eliminated if municipalities had their own administrative bureau. Huntington is one of three municipalities in the state to have one.
“The bureau should be up and running sometime in May,” he said. “Code enforcement officers, instead of having to comply with these changes, will be able to just enforce the code and ensure that neighborhoods are safer.”
Brookhaven assistant attorney David Moran said they will work in compliance with the law but called it an “unfunded mandate” with no real direction given how to be in compliance.
Schaffer said he’s volunteering Babylon to be the guinea pig regarding not following the new law and seeing what comes out of it.
“I’d like to be the test case to challenge the system,” he said.
Sei Ramen in East Setauket is just one Asian restaurant on Long Island that said business is down since the start of the coronavirus panic. Photo by David Luces
The uncertainty of the coronavirus has led many people to avoid public places that see a lot of foot traffic. Some have resorted to hunkering down at home. With the first confirmed cases of coronavirus reported in Suffolk County this past week, despite efforts to sanitize their locations, some local businesses owners have been seeing the impact directly.
Since the outbreak began in China late last year, Asian American and Chinese restaurants and businesses have seen a decline in the number of customers.
The Great Wall Chinese restaurant in Sound Beach is just one of several Asian establishments impacted by irrational fears over the coronavirus. Photo from Google Maps
Kevin Ma, co-owner of Sei Ramen in East Setauket, acknowledged the drop-off in business.
Business “for area restaurants, it’s going down,” he said. “I have friends that run their own businesses and they are going through the same thing.”
Since opening last month, Ma believes they have been doing OK and hopes to see an uptick in customers once the coronavirus scare dies down.
“All we can do is let customers know the food is safe [to eat],” he said. “We are making sure everything is clean and sanitized.”
Gary Pollakusky, president and executive director of Rocky Point Sound Beach Chamber of Commerce, said the fears of coronavirus are affecting businesses in the area.
“I spoke to two Chinese restaurants [that are chamber members], they don’t want this to affect them,” he said.
Pollakusky said misinformation on the coronavirus has caused the reduction in business, especially to the new owners of the Great Wall, a Chinese restaurant in Sound Beach.
“The fears of the people toward Chinese food are irrational — people shouldn’t be afraid of eating local,” he said. “The Great Wall in Sound Beach has new owners and they are very excited to be a part of this community.”
The executive director said all businesses are taking the proper precautions and safety measures to make sure its facilities are clean.
Libraries also see a lot of visitors and are trying to stay a step ahead.
Ted Gutmann, director at Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket, said they are closely monitoring the situation.
“We take the health and the safety of our patrons very seriously,” he said. “We have ordered additional cleaning supplies to clean surfaces, computers, keyboards and other areas.”
Gutmann said if patrons feel sick, he would advise them not to come to the library.
“We have tried to be proactive, we haven’t really seen a decrease in attendance at the library,” the director said.
At this point, Emma Clark has not decided to cancel any upcoming events but has had internal discussions about the problem, should the overall situation gets worse.
Debbie Engelhardt, director of Comsewogue Public Library, had similar sentiments.
“We haven’t noticed a change in attendance,” she said. “We are trying to be proactive, just washing our hands is part of our daily routine.”
Engelhardt said they already had numerous sanitizers installed throughout the building.
“We increased signage reminding employees and patrons to wash their hands,” she said. “If employees are sick, we have told them to stay home — we are monitoring information from the state and county. We are trying to stay educated, we have a responsibility as a public service building.”
“We are making sure everything is clean and sanitized.”
— Kevin Ma
Several local groups have been canceling events. The Three Village Democratic Club, Three Village Historical Society and Three Village Community Trust have all canceled or pushed off events out of a sense of caution.
Brookhaven Town has released an executive order canceling all town events for senior citizens due to coronavirus concerns. Those events are suspended beginning March 12. Meals on Wheels deliveries will continue to homebound seniors, while those previously served by congregate nutrition programs at senior centers will be offered meal delivery at home.
Residents can call 631-451-8696 for more information.
Despite the preparation, other businesses said they haven’t seen much of an impact so far.
Bobby Suchan, general manager of Port Jeff Bowl, said besides less people coming into bowling alleys in general, they haven’t seen a change in business as of now.
“We have installed more hand sanitizer in the building and just making sure everything is clean, which is something we always do,” he said.
Charlie Ziegler, director of operations at Holiday Inn Express Stony Brook, said it’s business as usual at the hotel.
“It’s not having an effect [on us] — the number of customers coming is the same,” he said.
Despite that, Ziegler said they will continue to make sure everything in the building is cleaned and sanitized.
“We had a meeting recently with the staff and we told them to make sure to wash their hands constantly,” he said. “We want to keep areas clean … we are disinfecting areas like the great room, telephones and door handles.”
Ziegler said they don’t anticipate any further disruptions from the coronavirus situation.
*Update* This post has been amended to reflect new cases of coronavirus in Suffolk County as well as new info from town and county sources.
In the same week the World Health Organization called the coronavirus outbreak a pandemic, Suffolk County recorded its first six positive tests for COVID-19.
The first four people to have the virus contracted it through community transmission, which means that none of them traveled to countries where infections are more prevalent. The patients include a Brookhaven Town man in his 20s who is in isolation at Stony Brook University Hospital, a Southold resident who is in her 20s and is under home isolation, a man in his 80s who is in isolation at St. Catherine’s Hospital and a man in his 40s who is in isolation Stony Brook Southampton Hospital.
At the same time, eight people were under mandatory quarantine while the New York State Department of Health is monitoring 72 people under precautionary quarantine because of their travel abroad, according to officials from the Suffolk County Health Department.
Dr. Gregson Pigott, commissioner of the county Department of Health Services, said the patient is “getting better” and expected that he will “be fine.”
Pigott said several area facilities have developed the ability to test for COVID-19, including LabCorp and Northwell Health Labs, which received state and federal approval to start manual testing for the virus. Northwell is seeking U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to use semi-automated testing within the week, which could boost the number of tests to the hundreds per day and into the thousands in the near future, the health lab said.
Pigott said Suffolk County was “on top of” the virus “for now” but that the circumstances could change, which is why several facilities have taken steps to protect various populations.
Stony Brook University told students this week that it would transition to all online classes starting on March 23, according to a letter sent out to students. The online version of the classes will continue through the end of the spring semester. Stony Brook is one of several colleges throughout the country that is taking steps to protect students through online versions of their classes. Princeton University, Stanford University, Harvard College and the University of Washington, to name a few, are also teaching classes online. Hofstra University canceled classes this week as well.
On March 10, Stony Brook’s Staller Center canceled all events for March “out of an abundance of caution” due to the coronavirus, according to a release.
Meanwhile, the New York State Education Department and the State Department of Health issued updated guidance to school and community health officials, which includes requiring schools to close for 24 hours if a student or staff member attended school prior to being confirmed as a positive COVID-19 patient. Additionally, during that period the school is expected to disinfect the building or buildings where the person had contact prior to testing positive. The departments also urged schools to work with community feeding organizations to plan for distribution of food to students who rely on the two meals served at schools each day.
The local health department will notify schools if and when they are required to close because of the virus and when they can reopen. Schools are not expected to decide about closing or canceling events on their own.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has canceled all public events, including lectures and on-site visits, through April 30.
Brookhaven National Laboratory, responding to guidance from the U.S. Department of Energy, has suspended all international business travel, with an exception for mission-essential international travel. Staff returning from China, Iran, South Korea and Italy are required to self-quarantine for 14 days. Staff will also have to self-quarantine if a household member traveled to those countries. All in-person visits of people from those countries are postponed.
Meanwhile, county Sheriff Errol Toulon Jr. (D) suspended all contact visits with prisoners. Noncontact visits can still be scheduled in advance, while visiting hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will be limited to 30-minute sessions.
To protect the most vulnerable population, the U.S. State Department also made recommendations to senior facilities. Following those guidelines, Affinity Skilled Living in Oakdale started screening staff and visitors earlier this week, which includes taking their temperature. The facility also has restricted visiting hours.
Port Jeff senior Samantha Ayotte battles her way to the basket for 2 of 14 team high points in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff senior Samantha Ayotte battles her way to the basket for 2 of 14 team high points in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Samantha Ayotte a senior for the Royals drives to the basket for 2 of 14 team high points in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Lola Idir lays up for 2 for the Royals against Carle Place in the LIC game Mar. 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Lola Idir shoots for the Royals against Carle Place in the LIC Mar. 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff junior Brooke Zamek battles in the paint in the LIC title game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
11th grader Evelyn Walker hits for three for Port Jeff in the LIC game against Carle Place. Bill Landon photo
11th grader Evelyn Walker turns baseline hits for the Royals in the LIC game against Carle Place. Bill Landon photo
11th grader Evelyn Walker shoots for the Royals in the LIC game against Carle Place. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff freshman Lola Idir drives the lane in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff junior Brooke Zamek drives the lane in the LIC title game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff sophomore Annie Maier sets up the play for the Royals in the LIC title game against Carle Place. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff sophomore Annie Maier sets up the play for the Royals in the LIC title game against Carle Place. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff freshman Amy Wittman takes a pass down low for the Royals against Carle Place Mar. 9. Photo by Bill Landon
Port Jeff sophomore Abigail Rolfe battles her way to the basket in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff sophomore Abigail Rolfe passes inside in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Port Jeff sophomore Abigail Rolfe muscles her way to the basket in the Long Island Championship game against Carle Place Mar. 9. Bill Landon photo
Port Jefferson struggled to stay with Carle Place in the Long Island Championship round March 6 where the Lady Royals trailed by six after the first 8 minutes of play. They then went down by 16 at the half, and the Frogs never let up the rest of the way to put the game away 70-42 at Newfield High School.
Carle Place advances to the Regional finals March 15.
Port Jeff concludes their season as League VII champions with a 13-3 league record, adding post season victories against Babylon and Mattituck to reach the LIC title game.
The Royals — a very young team — will lose just two seniors to graduation, including Jacqueline Lambe and Samantha Ayotte, and if the bulk of the remaining roster returns Port Jeff stands to be the powerhouse in their league again next season.
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