Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone today issued a letter to the more than 9,000 Suffolk County employees that have been working around the clock to address the COVID-19 crisis.
While I have stated many times Suffolk County's strongest asset is its work force, never has that been more evident than in the extraordinary efforts put forth by County employees over the past few weeks to make a constantly evolving and multi-faceted response to the COVID-19 outbreak possible. It is a simple fact that none of the work we are doing to protect residents and to slow the spread of the virus would be possible if not for the dedication and selflessness of Suffolk County employees. Please know that those efforts are appreciated.
The very foundation of the ongoing COVID-19 response effort is our workforce. On the front lines, public health nurses have for weeks sacrificed much time they could have been spending with family to work instead interacting directly with possible and actual COVID-19 cases to limit exposure and spread of the virus. Other Health Department staff continue to work around the clock to make the County's overall response possible. As always, Fire Rescue staff are playing a critical role in coordinating emergency response efforts throughout the County, and in connecting emergency responders with necessary supplies. Suffolk County Police Department, Sheriff's Department, Social Services and Probation Department personnel have continued the critical roles that they play in keeping Suffolk County residents safe in the face of unprecedented challenges. They are getting strong support in those efforts by staff from numerous other County departments who have volunteered to staff the expanded Suffolk 311 Call Center to help make sure that residents can reach County government to obtain information they need to assist in their families response to the constantly evolving COVD-19 pandemic.
As the situation continues to develop, the residents of Suffolk County will continue to rely on and benefit from the dedication and outstanding work ethic of the thousands of their neighbors who are the fabric of the Suffolk County government workforce.
I have also attached a FAQ sheet that we have put together containing important information about COVID-19 and the impacts of the virus.
Please know that your efforts are valued tremendously, and very much appreciated.
Steve