Coronavirus

There are plans to play the big charity softball game in Herrick Park on Aug. 15, but it is by no means a sure thing. Leading up to it, the two sides will engage in an online competition to see which team can raise the most money for the game's beneficiaries.

The county executive was again able to report zero Covid-19 deaths in a 24-hour period and an infection rate of 1 percent, a relief after reporting on Tuesday that the rate had jumped from .7 percent to 1.4 percent.

The Hamptons Arts Network, a group of 19 nonprofit arts organizations on the South Fork that banded together a few years ago, has been a lifeline for its members during the Covid-19 crisis. Now, the group is directing some of its resources outward to help the creative community around them.

The infection rate rose from .7 percent Monday to 1.4 percent on Tuesday, but the number of people testing positive for Covid-19 was consistent with numbers from the previous several days. For sports fans, there's sad news: Despite the county executive's efforts on its behalf, the Long Island Ducks professional baseball team has canceled its 2020 season.

After months of limiting or prohibiting visitors to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Stony Brook Southampton Hospital announced on Monday that it will allow hospital visits by family and friends for up to three hours a day, with strict rules.

Other statistics also "continue to look very good," said County Executive Steve Bellone, who reported that Suffolk had an infection rate of .7 percent. "Those are great numbers."

On Sunday, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said Covid-19 data are still looking good as Long Island continues the first full week of phase three of N.Y. Forward, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's economic reopening plan.

Many businesses have struggled to survive during the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent economic shutdown, but one niche industry is witnessing solid sales. Bait and tackle shops around Long Island have seen a significant uptick in business as more people take up fishing as a social distancing pastime.

In mid-April, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Suffolk County was reporting more than 1,000 new cases per day, but on Tuesday reported just 46 new cases. As the infection rate has slowed here, people concerned that they have been exposed to the virus are more likely to be tested at an outpatient lab, clinic, or doctor's office than at a drive-through test site, and the cost for testing can vary. 

It takes more than a pandemic to stop East Hampton's public access television service, which has emerged as an important source of information. 

Restaurants are allowed to welcome guests indoors now that Long Island has entered phase three of reopening as of Wednesday, but because of safety concerns, several East End eateries are opting to stick with outdoor dining and takeout instead.

On the heels of Long Island entering the third phase of New York's economic recovery plan on Wednesday, effective at midnight, travelers arriving in New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey from nine different states must quarantine for 14 days.