Coronavirus

In partnership with the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the East Hampton School District has continued to test its students and staff members for Covid-19, turning up zero positive cases out of what are now 290 tests.

Suffolk County will use $1.6 million in federal funds to provide grants for East End small businesses and renters economically impacted by the pandemic, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone announced on Friday.

“What will happen in four weeks?" Governor Cuomo asked, as vaccines were rolled out across the state and the number of new Covid-19 cases continued to climb precipitously. "You tell me what you're going to do over the next three weeks or four weeks and I'll tell you what's going to happen. . . ."

Compared to most people, Jake Lorefice was one New York University music technology master's degree more prepared to roll with the pandemic's punches and modify the Montauk School's music program, setting his sixth graders up for podcasting success. 

During the first surge of cases in New York in the spring, so many of us in the health care field fought tooth and nail to uphold our sacred oath to heal and keep death at bay. Many of those under our care died, and with each one of those who passed away under our watch, a piece of our hearts died as well. We thought it would be worth the heartache because the rest of the country would learn from our experiences and be better prepared. But here we are again.

A mix of the holiday spirit and a desire to pierce the pandemic gloom with strings of twinkling lights has led to a record-breaking boom in Christmas tree sales, according to several South Fork vendors, and left those who waited too long scrambling to find a tree.

On Monday New York State began distributing 170,000 doses of a coronavirus vaccine, including 26,500 doses designated for Long Island, which will be used to inoculate high-risk groups such as health care workers, nursing home residents and staff, and emergency medical services personnel. 

The Bridgehampton School has instituted remote learning for six days starting Wednesday as more Covid-19 cases were diagnosed there. One staff member and two students tested positive for the virus, according to Robert Hauser, the district superintendent.

Governor Cuomo’s announcement on Friday that indoor dining in New York City would be curtailed as of Monday is the latest manifestation of a worsening Covid-19 crisis in the state, which now has an overall positive infection rate of 4.9 percent, but he emphasized that “living room spread” represents the majority of new infections.

Section XI, the governing body for public high school sports in Suffolk County, on Friday postponed “until authorization is provided” the “high-risk” sports — boys and girls basketball, wrestling, and cheerleading — from the winter schedule that is slated to begin Jan. 4.

The School Covid Report Card, a state database that details the number of cases in local schools, shows one new case reported on Monday, three on Tuesday, and one on Wednesday. Of those five, four were students and one was a staff member.

The pandemic has seriously impacted many who fish or work on the water for a living. With restaurants and the food service industry taking a big hit, the demand for various seafood products, including oysters, has been severely curtailed. A new partnership between the Nature Conservancy and the Pew Charitable Trusts is offering help for oyster farmers whose oysters have grown too big to market.