Coronavirus Updates for Nov. 22: Westchester, Putnam See Surge in Cases, One Death Reported

Coronavirus cases increased by 405 on Saturday and another person has died from COVID-19 in Westchester County, state data shows.

The county’s total number of cases has now reached 46,469 since the start of the pandemic, with 1,499 COVID-19 deaths, according to the state tracker. Westchester now has 4,515 active coronavirus cases.

Overall, more than 1 million people have been tested for coronavirus in Westchester, with 9,588 individuals assessed on Saturday, according to state data. The county’s positivity rate increased to 4.6 percent, with a seven-day rolling average of 4.22 percent.

As of Thursday, there were 135 hospitalizations, according to County Executive George Latimer.

Just one day after Putnam County recorded two additional cases, a sharp decline following weeks of confirmed cases registering in the double-digits, the area’s numbers soared with 48 new positive cases reported on Saturday.

The county’s total caseload has reached 2,356 since mid-March.

The county’s positivity rate is currently 3.1 percent, with a seven-day rolling average of 5.11 percent. As of Saturday, the county has 419 active cases, according to state data.

There have been 64 coronavirus-related cases in Putnam. No new deaths were reported on Saturday.

Statewide there were 5,973 new positive cases, with the positivity rate increasing to 2.87 percent. That state recorded 34 additional COVID-19 deaths on Saturday, bringing the death toll to 26,326.

Total hospitalizations are at 2,443, an increase of 95 over the previous day, according to state data.

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in Westchester & Putnam counties on Nov. 22

Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville has canceled all November tournaments due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Ossining Union Free School District Superintendent Ray Sanchez will host a Facebook Live event today at 5 p.m. to provide information and answer questions as the district navigates how it will operate under the Yellow Zone designation.

Portions of Ossining, Peekskill, Tarrytown, New Rochelle, and Yonkers were labeled yellow zones on Thursday. The designation means added restrictions have been placed on each entity to mitigate the spread of coronavirus as Westchester navigates a second wave.

New restrictions will limit mass gatherings both indoor and outdoor to 25 people, with restaurants scaling down persons per table for both indoor and outdoor dining to four people. Houses of worship will now be restricted to 50 percent capacity and schools can remain open with mandatory weekly testing of 20 percent of students, teachers, and staff for in-person settings.

Businesses can remain open with no restrictions. However, if an area is increased to an orange zone, non-essential businesses, such as gyms and personal care, will be forced to close.

Port Chester remains in an Orange Warning Zone.

School News & Business Closures 

School

• Peekskill City School District will be on a remote learning model on Monday and Tuesday.
• Buchanan-Verplanck Elementary School will transition to remote learning on Monday.
• Ossining Union Free School District will be fully remote this week.
• Lakeland High School will be fully remote through Dec. 4.
• The City School District of New Rochelle is going all-virtual, except for a cohort of special education students, until Dec. 3
• Byram Hills High School currently has 19 students in quarantine through Nov. 30.
• Valhalla Middle School will be operating on a fully remote learning model through Nov. 30. The Odin cohort will resume in-person learning on Dec. 2.
• North Salem Central School District will reopen for in-person learning on Nov. 30.
• Westlake Middle School will reopen for hybrid, in-person instruction on Nov. 30.

Business

• Mt. Kisco Seafood will remain closed until all staff members have tested negative for COVID-19. The decision to shut down comes after possible exposure to the virus.
• Basilico Pizza in Mt. Kisco will close until further notice after staff members displayed symptoms of COVID-19. The business will reopen after everyone has received negative test results.
• Peppino’s Restaurant in Katonah will close temporarily due to COVID-19 exposure and reopen on Nov. 28.

Putnam County COVID-19 Health Advisories

Here are the latest health advisories issued by the Putnam County Department of Health. Those who worked at or visited these businesses on these dates and times are being asked to monitor their symptoms after members of the public tested positive for COVID-19.

• Ministerio Internacional Campamento De Jehova at 407 Route 6 in Mahopac on Nov. 15 from 7:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. The advisory will expire on Nov. 30.
• Mahopac Golf & Beach Club at 601 North Lake Boulevard from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14 from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The advisory will lift on Nov. 29.
• ShopRite Supermarket at 184 Route 52 in Carmel was exposed on Nov. 12 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The advisory will expire on Nov. 27.
• World Gym Brewster at 1620 Route 22 in Brewster was exposed on Nov. 7 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Nov. 8 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The advisory will expire on Monday.

Westchester Active Coronavirus Cases by Municipality 

Here are the active cases by municipality in Westchester as of Friday. With a lag between the total number of cases confirmed by the state and the tally of cases by town, the total number of municipal cases might be slightly different than what the county’s active cases reflects.

• Ardsley – 8
• Bedford – 73
• Briarcliff Manor – 24
• Bronxville – 15
• Buchanan – 7
• Cortlandt – 93
• Croton-on-Hudson – 24
• Dobbs Ferry – 43
• Eastchester – 73
• Elmsford – 19
• Greenburgh – 114
• Harrison – 110
• Hastings-on-Hudson – 21
• Irvington – 12
• Larchmont – 16
• Lewisboro – 41
• Mamaroneck Town – 31
• Mamaroneck Village – 72
• Mount Kisco – 76
• Mount Pleasant – 69
• Mount Vernon – 224
• New Castle – 51
• New Rochelle – 387
• North Castle – 44
• North Salem – 24
• Ossining Town – 20
• Ossining Village – 178
• Peekskill – 165
• Pelham – 14
• Pelham Manor – 13
• Pleasantville – 28
• Port Chester – 244
• Pound Ridge – 9
• Rye Brook – 47
• Rye City – 51
• Scarsdale – 31
• Sleepy Hollow – 87
• Somers – 68
• Tarrytown – 32
• Tuckahoe – 17
• White Plains – 191
• Yonkers – 607
• Yorktown – 168

If your business or school district may have been exposed to COVID-19, please email ayoung@theexaminernews.com to be placed on our daily COVID-19 list.