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This week, Rockland County saw a spike in COVID-19 infection rates, which peaked near 5 percent, compared to the rest of the state, which has hovered around 1 percent for weeks.
In response, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced a new “cluster action initiative” to attack hotspots to stop the spread of the virus, including some new rules and regulations that will be in place for at least two weeks.
The spike in cases largely centers around communities in Monsey, Spring Valley, and New Square, officials said.
In the red zone, during the two week hiatus, non-essential businesses will be closed, schools will transition to remote learning, restaurants will be limited to takeout, mass gatherings are prohibited, and religious gatherings will be limited to 25 percent capacity and a maximum of 10 people.
In Rockland, there is a second buffer zone outside of the communities of Monsey, Spring Valley, and New Square (see above), which will have fewer restrictions in place.
In the yellow zone, houses of worship can open up to 50 percent capacity, gatherings are limited to 25 people indoor or outdoor, businesses will remain open, dining will be open, though there will be a max of four people per table, and schools will be open with mandatory weekly testing for students and staff.
Cuomo also announced that fines for the sponsors of mass gatherings in violation of state public health rules will be increased to $15,000.
Rockland County Executive Ed Day said that inspectors from the Department of Health have been trained and will be actively assisting the New York State Police COVID-19 Task Force with enforcement efforts during the
Day said that the cluster restrictions will take effect on 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 9, and will be in effect for 14 days, at which point Cuomo’s office will reassess the situation at certain hotspots.
"It's critically important that we get this under control. The numbers are starting to grow exponentially. We don't need that right now," Day said. "We've made great progress and great strides here.”
In Rockland, the 10952 (16 percent), 10977 (10.6 percent), 10901 (4.6 percent), and 10956 (4.4 percent) zip codes were among the 20 highest infection rates in the state on Wednesday, Oct. 7.
The positivity rate in the 20 hotspots zip codes was 5.8 on Wednesday, while the rest of the state was at 1.01 percent.
Cuomo said that the state’s strategy is to “crush the cluster and stop the spread” in justifying his plan to take additional action in Rockland, Brooklyn, Queens, and other hotspots.
“Step one, you take the most dramatic action within the cluster itself where you have the highest density of cases,” he said. "Understanding that the people in that cluster interface with the surrounding communities, take additional action in the communities surrounding the cluster.
“Then as a precautionary measure, take action in the communities that are outlying that area.”
In Rockland, there have been 181,373 COVID-19 cases administered, resulting in 16,256 positive cases. There are currently 18 patients hospitalized with the virus, and there have been 679 COVID-19-related fatalities since mid-March.
A breakdown of active COVID-19 cases in Rockland as of Thursday, Oct. 8, according to the county Department of Health:
- Spring Valley: 710;
- Monsey: 445;
- Suffern: 129;
- New City: 53;
- Pomona: 46;
- Nanuet: 24;
- Pearl River: 16;
- Nyack: 9;
- Garnerville: 9;
- Stony Point: 9;
- Blauvelt: 7;
- West Nyack: 7;
- Orangeburg: 6;
- Thiells: 5;
- West Haverstraw: 5;
- Valley Cottage: 4;
- Haverstraw: 4;
- Tappan: 3;
- Congers: 3;
- Sloatsburg: 2;
- Palisades: 1;
- Sparkill: 1;
- Piermont: 1;
- Tompkins Cove: 1.
There are no active cases in Hillburn.
"A cluster is just that - it's a cluster of cases, a high density of cases, and it seeps and grows from that cluster almost in concentric circles,” Cuomo said. “Drop a pebble into the pond, the pebble goes in, then there's one ring, two rings, three rings, and the rings continue across the pond. When you see the cluster, you have to stop it at that point.”
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