Businesses of all sorts in New York State ground to a screeching halt this week, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced a near-total shutdown of commercial activity and ordinary life.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo this week ordered schools statewide to close through March 31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some districts here had already announced plans to close for two weeks. Many administrators believe the closure will be extended.

The South Fork is caught up in a rapidly accelerating public health emergency as the COVID-19 pandemic moved from dire warnings two weeks ago to declarations of states of emergency in all of the towns and villages on the North and South Forks this week.

While most people have been told to stay home to stop the spread of COVID-19, first responders do not have the luxury of closing up shop.