Mayor Proud of White Plains Response to Coronavirus
White Plains Mayor Tom Roach is proud of the way the city’s approximately 60,000 residents and businesses have responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re doing a lot and it’s working well. We’re seeing tremendous compliance by our residents,” Roach told Westchester County Executive George Latimer during a Facebook chat last week. “I love my city. I love my people and we’ll be coming out of this together. Remember we’re standing together by staying apart.”
As of April 20, there were 968 reported cases of COVID-19 in White Plains. That pales in comparison to 2,477 cases in Yonkers, 1,516 in Mount Vernon and 1,511 in New Rochelle.
Roach has been updating residents daily on social media, robocalls and the city’s website and the city has been trying to assist merchants who remain open through such measures as providing 10-minute free parking in front of restaurants for customers ordering take-out.
“Everyone has been cooperative,” Roach said. “People realize how serious this is. Everyone is rowing together and I’m proud of that.”
Roach praised the efforts of the doctors, nurses and other employees at White Plains Hospital, which he called the “best hospital in the region.”
“The quality of care there is amazing,” said Roach, who noted he was “cured of cancer” at the hospital and his two sons were born there. “The work they do is tremendous. I can’t say enough. The people that work there are our neighbors. They go to work every day and work miracles, never more than they are today. We’re so fortunate to have them here.”
The Westchester County Center in White Plains has been transformed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers into a makeshift medical facility to handle the overflow of patients if needed.
“It’s an example of all levels of government working together,” Roach said. “We’re happy to see it in our city. It’s unbelievable to see. We hope we don’t need it, but it’s comforting to know it’s there.”
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/