Latimer Will Provide Updated COVID-19 Numbers Monday Afternoon
County Executive and Rye guy George Latimer told MyRye.com late Sunday morning he will provide updated COVID-19 exposure numbers for Rye City starting Monday afternoon (March 23, 2020). Just Friday, Latimer told MyRye.com he was struggling to get updated number from the State.
(PHOTO: George Latimer, standing, on 60 Minutes.)
The numbers will still be "at least a day late" and of course the limited testing also severely impacts any numbers you will see. Last Thursday was the last time the county had updated numbers for Rye – at that time only six(6) cases were identified.
Identifying COVID-19 cases are particularly important for first responders. They are given locations of identified cases so they can be prepared if and when they respond to a residence with a COVID-19 case.
Latimer said Westchester has tested more people than other locations with the exception of New York City. He estimated 1,000 people are being tested daily. Tests – and who gets tested – are controlled by NY State and are administered at two drive through testing centers – on Glen Island Park in New Rochelle and at Westchester Medical Center. There is also a small cadre of nurses from the County and State that go see more severe cases directly – the group is administering about 100 test daily.
Finally, the county has offered the Playland parking lot to the State for either COVID-19 testing or a mobile hospital, as previously reported. The State has not taken the county up on the offer, and Latimer mentioned the light poles in the parking lot create some challenges in setting up a field hospital. The county also looked at the old United Hospital site, but building inspectors shot that down.
