Rye City Issues Corona Virus Update Late Friday

The City of Rye issued a Coronavirus update Friday evening. There are asking residents to call ahead to city departments (with the exception of police and fire) before showing up at a city office. All City Board, Commission and Committee meetings for the next two weeks are postponed. All Rye Rec programming is suspended as well.

The full notice is below.

Corona

"Corona Virus Update – March 13, 2020

Post Date: 03/13/2020 6:25 PM

I am pleased to be able to tell you that, per County information, we have no known Coronavirus/ COVID-19 cases in the City of Rye. 

I am pleased to share with you that the City continues to provide full services through all offices and locations. City personnel of course face the same conflicts we all do in this demanding period, and I know we are all grateful for their dedication. With a view to protecting our personnel, and the public with whom they have contact, we are asking the following of Rye residents:

-Emergency Services – If you need to call for assistance from the Police Department, Fire Department or EMS, and if you are in self-quarantine, quarantine or otherwise believe you present any heightened risk of COVID-19 exposure, please explain that when you call. This will allow emergency personnel to take appropriate precautionary measures.

-City Hall Services – To limit the possibility that City Hall might become a disease transmission location, we have previously indicated that many City services are available electronically (click here for details).  Besides asking that residents access services electronically whenever possible, we now are also asking that any resident wishing for in-person service first call the relevant City department and make arrangements (see below).   Departmental phone numbers are included in the information below.  This limitation does not apply to Police or Fire Departments.

-Board, Commission and Committee Meetings – Please take note that all City Board, Commission and Committee meetings for the next two weeks are postponed until their next scheduled meeting. 

Consistent with the closing of the Rye public schools, and with equal reluctance, we are temporarily suspending all Rye Rec programming. We do not anticipate that this suspension will be for a prolonged period. We are continuing registrations for spring and summer activities.

We are taking the foregoing actions out of an abundance of caution and not because of any imminent need.  We expect to maintain full City functions, but wish to do so in a manner consistent with the precautionary steps being taken across our society.  We will re-evaluate our approach on a daily basis.

The County reports 158 COVID-19 cases in Westchester. Only 5 cases have so far required hospitalization.  We must expect the number of cases  to grow as testing resources are increased (now in process) and extended to people without marked symptoms. Other than the New Rochelle concentration, however,  other municipalities in Westchester that have cases show only single digit numbers.  This is encouraging.
  
COVID-19 is particularly threatening to the elderly.  Please, to the extent you have an elderly neighbor or friend, see if they need any assistance that they are not comfortable obtaining for themselves under present circumstances.
 
The County has announced that it may, consistent with prior federal and state action, declare a state of emergency on Monday.  At this time, the County has not mentioned any specific actions that it would take pursuant to such a declaration and has promised that, if it acts, it will do so in consultation with any affected municipalities.
 
The County reports instances of displays of ethnic and religious prejudice associated with the COVID-19 outbreak.  I know Rye to be better than this and expect that we will continue to weather this as one unified community.
 
As before, I thank Rye residents for their patience, kindness and fortitude.
Josh Cohn
Mayor

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

Assessor:  (914) 967-7565
Building Department:  (914) 967-7372
City Clerk:  (914) 967-7371
Finance Department:  (914) 967-7303
Planning Department:  (914) 967-7167
Public Works: (914) 967-7464
Rye Recreation:  (914) 967-2535
Boat Basin: (914) 967-2011
Golf Club: (914) 835-3200
City Manager:  (914) 967-7404

Further general information on Coronavirus is available from the New York State Health Department at 888-364-3065, and from the County at 2-1-1. Or, you may find information at the following links:

o   CDC 2019 Coronavirus

o   New York State Department of Health Novel Coronavirus website

o   New York State Department of Health Local Health Departments 

o   Westchester County COVID-19 updated"

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