County Executive Bellone Releases Video Commemorating the Four Month Battle with COVID-19
County Executive Thanks Members of the Media and Administration Staff for Incredible Partnership
July 8, 2020 Declared Local Media Appreciation Day
Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today held his final daily COVID-19 media briefing as the County entered Phase IV of reopening and transitions to focusing on recovery and rebuilding of the economy.
“These last 122 days have been a rollercoaster of emotions, obstacles, and challenges that we could never have imagined,” said Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone. “As we enter Phase IV of reopening, I am hopeful of where we are going, but we must not forget where we came from. Long Islanders are strong, resilient, and time and time again we prove we can accomplish the impossible. While today was our last daily media briefing, we will continue to provide regular updates to keep everyone informed on all of the latest public health efforts.”
As part of the update, County Executive Bellone recognized the incredible work performed by the Suffolk County Department of Health Services, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services, the Department of Economic Development and Planning, and the Department of Labor, Licensing and Consumer Affairs. Officials from each department participated in the daily media briefings and were an integral part of ensuring the most up to date and accurate information was shared with the public.
Additionally, the County Executive thanked the members of the media, many of whom did not miss a daily briefing, for their partnership during this unprecedented time. To recognize their work, County Executive Bellone issued an Executive Order designating July 8, 2020 as “Local Media Appreciation Day” in Suffolk County. Each and every member of the local media played a vital role in protecting public health during this COVID-19 crisis and that is something for which they should be proud and recognized.
The County Executive also released a video commemorating the obstacles and challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the course of the last four months, along with the victories that were achieved. The video highlights a number of significant milestones, including the first COVID-19 case in Suffolk County, the first COVID-19 related death, the day Suffolk County surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 cases, the first day Suffolk County saw a decline in hospitalizations, the first day with zero COVID-19 fatalities, the amount of Personal Protective Equipment distributed, and more. A copy of the video can be found here.
As the County begins to transition to a new normal, all of the key metrics continue to move in a positive direction. As of 2:00 PM on Wednesday, July 8, Suffolk County reported a total of 41,799 positive COVID-19 Cases in Suffolk County, an additional 69 positive cases from yesterday. Additionally, 4,108 people were tested yesterday. This number does not include positive antibody test results. As of this morning, Suffolk County had received 20,104 positive antibody test results for patients who had not previously been diagnosed.
As of July 6, there were 50 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and 9 patients in the ICU. Six patients had been discharged between July 5 – July 6.
After 122 days of daily briefings:
- On March 9, 2020 Suffolk County reported its first COVID-19 case
- On March 16, 2020 Suffolk County reported its first COVID-19 related fatalities
- On April 4, 2020 Suffolk County reported COVID-19 related fatalities had surpassed 100
- On April 12, 2020 Suffolk County reported COVID-19 related fatalities had surpassed 500
- On April 25, 2020 Suffolk County reported COVID-19 related fatalities had surpassed 1,000
- On May 7, 2020 Suffolk County reported COVID-19 related fatalities had surpassed 1,500
- On April 7, 2020 Suffolk County reported an additional 64 fatalities in the last 24 hours, the largest increase in a single day
- On April 11, 2020 Suffolk County reported its highest hospital census at 1,658
- On April 30, 2020 Suffolk County reported hospitalizations had gone below 1,000 for the first time since the start of the outbreak
- On May 19, 2020 Suffolk County reported hospitalizations had gone below 500 for the first time since the start of the outbreak
- On June 21, 2020 Suffolk County reported hospitalizations had gone below 100 for the first time since the start of the outbreak
To receive the most up to date daily reports, residents can click here or visit the Suffolk County website, www.suffolkcountyny.gov/covid19.
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