Mayor Colin Read announces a curfew for all individuals between the hours of 8pm and 6am for all activities not related to meeting basic needs of obtaining sustenance, traveling to and from or fulfilling employment, educational, or civic or volunteer responsibilities, exercise outdoors individually or as couples or families, or caring for family members or vulnerable or health-compromised individuals.
For more information regarding COVID-19 from the City of Plattsburgh visit http://www.cityofplattsburgh.com/613/COVID-19-Information-and-Updates
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Today there are 24 positive cases in Clinton County, an increase of four cases since yesterday. The rate of testing in Clinton County is still constrained, but the Governor has promised accelerated testing in the state, with the cooperation of a State business that is helping to improve capacity significantly.
There are a total of 83,712 KNOWN positive cases in New York State, an increase of 7,900 over the last day, and 1,941 deaths, up 391 since yesterday. New York still represents almost half of the 205,035 cases in the nation, as of noon today, and about half the deaths, although outbreaks are really accelerating rapidly in other states, especially in New Jersey, California, Georgia, Louisiana, Michigan, and Illinois, states with large urban centers that act as the canary in their coal mines before the Coronavirus spreads to rural pockets of our country.
There have been 1,297 new admits in New York State in the past 24 hours, which has consistently been averaging over 1,000 new admits per day for the last week. The rate of movement to Intensive Care Units continue to average about 300 per day for the past week. The Governor observed that about 20% of all those testing positive are requiring hospitalization, and half of those may find their way to the ICU, and for a much longer length of time than traditional ICU patients. The Governor noted that the chances of survival are only about 20% once one requires intervention with a ventilator. Our job is to intervene earlier so ventilators are not needed.
Fortunately, discharges are trending upwards, with 1,167 people discharged in the last day. However, the Governor warned us that while the apex downstate remains weeks or a month away, (and I note that, of course, Clinton County is weeks behind that), social distancing must remain as it also takes time to come down “the other side of the mountain”.
As of noon today, there are a total of 905,974 KNOWN positives worldwide. I expect tomorrow we will pass the million person mark, with more than 50,000 deaths worldwide. The United States, represents more than 20% of that share and more than 20% of new cases.
On Monday, Dr. Fauci implored us all to maintain social distancing to avoid a rebound wave in this country this Fall as China may be experiencing now. The President and his team also admitted that upwards of 200,000 or more could die in this country. The total could have been ten times that amount if nothing had been done, and I believe a tenth of what we will face if more had done elsewhere what we did here as early as we did it, and if we could have combined that with a first rate and abundant testing regime. I am so saddened by such a loss of human life and I am doing whatever I can to protect those so vulnerable in our city.
The Governor has decided to close New York City playgrounds to protect our kids from infected equipment and our young people from contact-oriented exercise. He also extended his provisions for the closing of certain businesses until at least April 15, but notes that the State will not reach its apex until May 1. Beyond, that he noted we must also manage coming down the apex for another couple of months before we can reach a new normal.
Under his model, the Governor expects 16,000 New York residents to perish, and about 93,000 fatalities nationally. The Governor estimates that, if we can ensure a high compliance in social distancing, we may require a maximum of 75,000 COVID-19 beds and 25,000 ventilators. The State is working hard to secure sufficient ventilators and is beginning to distribute more masks, personal protection equipment and ventilators.
The good news is that our early start in the City of Plattsburgh and in the State of New York on social distancing has surely helped considerably. We are all in this together, with each of us acting to ensure we don’t infect anybody else, first by ensuring we don’t get infected ourselves.
I believe Dr. Fauci will soon be the advice across our nation that we wear simple fabric masks in public. . More and more experts now believe that while fabric masks will not significantly protect one much from other infected individuals, there is growing evidence that masks helps prevent those of us who may be infected, and not even know it, from infecting others.
This is important because of one aspect of the COVID-19 virus. The incubation period is a little less than a week. That means you can be infected, and potentially infect others for almost a week on average before you notice any symptoms. A recent study now shows that about a quarter of those infected may not show any significant symptoms, so you can go on for another two weeks while the virus takes its course potentially and inadvertently affecting others. Even a simple mask, scarf, or bandana protects others from those who are infected and may not even know it.
We also need to give our police more tools to prevent the invulnerables among us from assembling or partying and hence risking more infections, and ultimately risking the health and even the lives of the most vulnerable residents of our city. Our actions affect others. This is grave and I am gravely serious about my resolve in protecting those who depend on us. I walked around downtown yesterday and saw a number of people respecting the minimum social distance. However, I was dismayed that so many people are still aggregating too closely. That is very disturbing. We want people to go out and get some exercise, but I plead with you to do it in ones and twos, and with members of your household, so we don’t transmit infections from household to household.
With these items in mind, I am working to renew an Executive Order and an Emergency Order that reminds the public of the Governor’s Order No. 202.10 that states “Non-essential gatherings of individuals of any size for any reason are canceled or postponed at this time.
Also in my Executive Order today, I am taking the advice of our Clinton County public health experts and am imposing the following
– a curfew for all individuals between the hours of 8pm and 6am for all activities not related to meeting basic needs of obtaining sustenance, travelling to and from or fulfilling employment, educational, or civic or volunteer responsibilities, exercise outdoors individually or as couples or families, or caring for family members or vulnerable or health-compromised individuals.
– a prohibition on access to any park equipment or participating in any group sports on City property. I encourage the public to get fresh air and exercise, but as an individual, couple, or family pursuit rather than in groups.
– I ask all members of the public to wear a fabric mask or similar barrier such as a scarf or bandana to protect themselves and others from any spray that may emanate from one who has been infected.
And please, follow the Governor’s orders. No parties, no get-togethers, and let’s create absolutely no avenues for this disease to be passed on. In the absence of these measures, one person on average affects 2.5 more. That means four people who assemble could spread COVID-19 to ten more, and then those ten to twenty five more. If twenty five people get infected, there is a good chance one of them will die. The stakes are that high.
So, please, I plead with you to practice extreme social distancing, and please do your part in taking care of yourselves, your family and loved ones, and the most vulnerable in our community. Please take care, and I will see you again tomorrow.