Coronavirus Updates for Nov. 24: Westchester Records More Than 400 New Cases, Putnam Sees Over 100

Cases of the coronavirus increased by 421 in Westchester County on Monday, bringing the total number of positive cases to 47,262 since the start of the pandemic.

Westchester now has 4,808 active coronavirus cases, a nearly 1,300 increase over last week. Three weeks ago, 1,513 active cases were recorded.

“That is a dangerous trend,” County Executive George Latimer said in a press briefing on Monday. “We are hitting numbers that we saw in the month of May and there seems to be no reduction in sight in the rapid rate of growth in these various cases.”

The county has 1,500 COVID-19-related fatalities since March, according to state data. Westchester saw 10 coronavirus-related deaths last week, a stark increase compared to July and August when both months logged a combined 11 fatalities.

Overall, more than 1 million tests have been administered in Westchester, with 8,343 individuals assessed on Monday, according to state data. The county’s daily infection rate rose to 5.05 percent.

Hospitalizations have nearly tripled over the last three weeks, with the county reporting 168 persons hospitalized on Monday. Latimer said the hospitals remain in good shape, with 3,100 available hospital beds and 260 ICU beds.

Putnam County saw a glaring increase in new positive cases on Monday, with 110 reported following weeks of confirmed cases registering in the single or double digits. This is only the second time Putnam has seen cases soar past 100 since the pandemic began.

On April 24, the county reported 266 positive cases, according to the state tracker.

The county’s total caseload has reached 2,472 since mid-March, with 467 active cases, state data shows. The positivity rate is currently 6.68 percent.

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

Statewide there were 5,906 new positive cases, with the daily positivity rate increasing to 3.08 percent. That state recorded 33 additional COVID-19 deaths on Monday, bringing the death toll to 26,389.

Total hospitalizations are at 2,724, an increase of 162 over the previous day, according to state data. Across the state, there has been a total of 602,120 positive coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic.

Here are the latest updates on the coronavirus in Westchester & Putnam counties on Nov. 24

There will be free COVID testing available in Ossining at Open Door Family Medical Center at 165 Main Street on Tuesday from noon to 6 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call to schedule an appointment at 914-995-7425.

While Gov. Andrew Cuomo last week placed portions of Ossining, Peekskill, Tarrytown, Yonkers and New Rochelle in a yellow zone due to high COVID-19 infection rates, he said on Monday each municipality is on track to increase to an orange zone. The label would apply more stringent restrictions than already in place, including the closure of high-risk, non-essential businesses, such as gyms, fitness centers, hair salons, and personal care services.

Other orange zone restrictions would result in indoor dining prohibited and outdoor dining limited to four persons per table, and mass gatherings both indoor and outdoor limited to 10 people. Houses of worship would also be restricted to 33 percent of its maximum capacity or 25 people, whichever is lower.

Furthermore, schools would move to remote instruction, with the option to open if a population of the teachers and student body are tested and show a low positivity rate.

Port Chester, which is currently labeled an orange zone, could soon increase to a red zone, Cuomo warned. The designation would result in all non-essential business closures, a prohibition on gatherings, and restaurants transitioning back to take out or delivery service only.

Cuomo also announced Brewster is on track to be labeled a yellow zone.

Yellow zone, the lowest of the three-tier color warning system, would begin the process of increased restrictions, community testing, tracing support, enforcement, education, and compliance efforts to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Yellow zone restrictions limit mass gatherings both indoor and outdoor to 25 people, with restaurants reducing persons per table for both indoor and outdoor dining to four people. Houses of worship will be restricted to 50 percent capacity and schools can remain open with mandatory weekly testing of 20 percent of students, teachers, and staff.

Businesses can remain open with no restrictions.

School News & Business Closures 

School

• Peekskill City School District will be on a remote learning model on Tuesday.
• Hendrick Hudson School District will be on a remote learning model on Tuesday.
• Somers Intermediate School will provide remote learning for Grade 5 through Dec. 4 due to a number of teachers and staff in quarantine.
• Primrose Elementary School will provide remote learning for Grades 1 and 2 on Tuesday.
• Ossining Union Free School District will be fully remote this week.
• Pocantico Hills Central School District will be providing remote instruction this week. Schools will reopen on Nov. 30.
• 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.
• Kent Elementary School will be fully remote until Nov. 30
• Matthew Paterson Elementary School will be fully remote until Nov. 30.

Business

• Mt. Kisco Seafood will remain closed through Thanksgiving with plans to reopen in December.
• 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.

Westchester Active Coronavirus Cases by Municipality 

Here are the active cases by municipality in Westchester as of Monday. 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 – 5
• Bedford – 86
• Briarcliff Manor – 28
• Bronxville – 13
• Buchanan – 9
• Cortlandt – 105
• Croton-on-Hudson – 27
• Dobbs Ferry – 46
• Eastchester – 80
• Elmsford – 23
• Greenburgh – 135
• Harrison – 114
• Hastings-on-Hudson – 18
• Irvington – 10
• Larchmont – 13
• Lewisboro – 45
• Mamaroneck Town – 29
• Mamaroneck Village – 91
• Mount Kisco – 79
• Mount Pleasant – 72
• Mount Vernon – 245
• New Castle – 54
• New Rochelle – 416
• North Castle – 45
• North Salem – 26
• Ossining Town – 24
• Ossining Village – 233
• Peekskill – 189
• Pelham – 19
• Pelham Manor – 16
• Pleasantville – 32
• Port Chester – 253
• Pound Ridge – 10
• Rye Brook – 55
• Rye City – 51
• Scarsdale – 36
• Sleepy Hollow – 97
• Somers – 81
• Tarrytown – 37
• Tuckahoe – 25
• White Plains – 210
• Yonkers – 738
• Yorktown – 175

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.