Covid-19: County Execs From Westchester, Long Island Discuss Paths To Reopening

County executives from Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester counties met on a Facebook Watch meeting to discuss the future of downstate New York amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Zak Failla

05/21/2020 4:55 p.m.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone welcomed Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Westchester County Executive George Latimer for a lengthy conversation on Thursday, May 21 as they discussed the unique challenges the two regions are facing as they look to start slowly reopening their economies.

Currently, Long Island and the mid-Hudson Valley, the region Westchester has been grouped in, are the only regions outside of New York City that have failed to meet the state’s required seven metrics to begin phase 1 of reopening the economy.

Neither region has seen the necessary decline in COVID-19 hospital deaths, while Long Island’s hospital capacity is currently below the threshold.

Earlier story - COVID-19: Poll Shows How Many Think It's Safe To Go Restaurant, Barber/Salon, Clothing Store

During the 45-minute discussion, the county executives discussed everything from reopening mass gathering events, keeping beaches open for county residents only, and what the future looks like in the “new normal” as downstate New York continues to recover from the first wave of COVID-19.

The complete discussion can be seen above.

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