Villages

The Hampton Jitney paused its Jitney and Ambassador bus service between the South Fork and New York City effective Monday. 

School districts and day care centers here are answering the governor’s call to help parents and caregivers who are first responders, health care workers, and other essential employees during the COVID-19 response.

As of Sunday evening, East Hampton Town had 10 confirmed cases of COVID-19, Southampton Town, 16, Shelter Island 2, and Southold Town 91. Officials plead with people to practice social distancing.

Suffolk Transit buses are going cashless and taking other measures to increase public health safety as the effects of COVID-19 continue to grow.

Con el esfuerzo de proveer información acerca de la pandemia del COVID-19 a nuestra comunidad de habla hispana, el East Hampton Star está colaborando con la Organización Latino-Americana para traducir artículos al español.

Some of the key takeaways from this week's news about COVID-19 in New York State, Suffolk County, and our South Fork communities.

New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office released a list of those businesses considered essential while an executive order designed to limit the spread of COVID-19 is in effect. Businesses not on the list must arrange for all of their employees to work from home or cease operation by 8 p.m. Sunday or face fines.

"These are legal provisions; they will be enforced. There will be a civil fine and mandatory closure for any business that isn't in compliance," Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Friday as the state's virus cases topped 7,100.

Suffolk Legislator Bridget Fleming said on Thursday that hoarding food is unnecessary because supply chains that serve retail food stores are operating normally.

The Plain Sight Project, which is creating a database of East End slavery, is seeking sharp-eyed volunteers to work remotely.

Shelter Island has its first confirmed case of the virus, which has already been reported in East Hampton, Southampton, Riverhead, and Southold.

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.

In response to the COVID-19 crisis, East Hampton’s religious organizations have suspended in-person services, as well as Sunday school and all other gatherings and classes, trying digital streaming instead.

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 East Hampton Library will host an online program for students beginning to think about applying to college.

Suffolk County's first mobile testing site for the novel coronavirus is at a Stony Brook University commuter lot. Testing is by appointment and only for those who meet stringent criteria.

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.

In photographs, how businesses and residents reacted as coronavirus precautions began to take hold.

New York's cases neared 1,400 by Tuesday morning, with 97 in Suffolk County, including 2 in Southampton Town, 2 in East Hampton Town, and 28 in Southold, the county executive reported.

Restaurants were ordered to shut down their dining rooms, but many had already hastened to transition to takeout and delivery services in order to comply with social distancing recommendations. Here's a list.

The airport itself has not closed and flights can still come in and out.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc will offer an update on the COVID-19 situation at the town board work session on Tuesday at 10 a.m. The meeting will be broadcast live on LTV, but will be closed to public attendance.

Many of East Hampton Town government's departments will reduce staffing to approximately 50 percent starting on Wednesday, but essential departments including the police, highway, buildings and grounds, and sanitation will continue to operate.

Sag Harbor Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy said in a teleconference today that the Suffolk County Department of Health Services is planning a drive-in facility to test for the coronavirus in the county.

With the schools closed, many parents have begun navigating the world of homeschooling for the first time, and school districts have begun serving meals to students who take part in the federal free and reduced-price lunch program. 

Courthouses throughout Suffolk County, including East Hampton Town and Sag Harbor Village Justice Courts, are closing amid the spread of COVID-19, but the case against Patchita Tennant, a former East Hampton CVS manager accused of trying to murder her boyfriend, will press on.

The Suffolk County Health Department confirmed that a 70-year-old East Hampton Village man had tested positive for COVID-19 and is now under quarantine, Mayor Richard Lawler announced.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced Monday morning that the governors of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut have jointly agreed to close gyms, movie theaters, and casinos across the region, and restrict restaurants and bars to takeout and delivery service effective Monday at 8 p.m.

In the interest of keeping our readers and our community informed about health-related matters, this week The East Hampton Star removed the paywall for all of its virus-related coverage, meaning that you can read these stories for free whether you are a subscriber or not.