East Hampton, Sag Harbor And Southampton Mayors Address COVID-19

As the confirmed cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) grows across New York and the East End, the mayors of East Hampton, Sag Harbor and Southampton gathered at LTV in Wainscott on Thursday, March 12 to film an update about local efforts to address COVID-19.

Southampton Mayor Jesse Warren, Sag Harbor Mayor Kathleen Mulcahy and East Hampton Village Mayor Rick Lawler spoke about the efforts each town or village is enacting in regards to COVID-19.

“The Village of Sag Harbor has put in a five phase plan, at the suggestion of some of our lawyers and health officials. We have a task force,” Mayor Mulcahy explained.

Currently, the Village is in phase one that is monitoring and staying informed. “There have been no reported outbreaks in and no reported confirmed cases in Sag Harbor Village. We will continue to have everything open and continue to have our board meetings and our other public meetings as planned, until we are told otherwise by Suffolk County or the CDC,” Mayor Mulcahy said.

“If you feel sick, please stay home,” Mayor Mulcahy stressed.

Mayor Lawler noted that East Hampton is taking similar measures to keep community members safe. “Our janitorial staff is busy sanitizing areas in the buildings that are frequented by people and touched frequently,” he relayed.

For those attending Village meetings, Mayor Lawler advised utilizing, “Common sense health practices. Keep a nice social distance from you and others who may be attending our meetings. Don’t shake hands. Hopefully, we’ll get through this thing all right. I don’t think we should panic at this point. Again, take the normal health precautions and I think we’ll be just fine.”

The Village of East Hampton is monitoring the situation on a daily basis and staying informed from the Suffolk County Health Department.

“The Village of Southampton has requested directly from the County some sanitizer products, other products such as gloves, in order to stock up – not only for our team at the Village, but also for residents,” Mayor Warren said. “We will let you know if we get additional supplies, but we are hoping to get some soon.”

“One thing that I wanted to bring up for the viewers is that we are rolling out a system called CodeRED,” Mayor Warren relayed. The web based and app based platform will allow real time information to be communicated quickly. The app can be used to search the immediate area (up to 25 miles).

Mayor Warren concluded the video by passing along a message that they received from Stony Brook Southampton Hospital regarding COVID-19 guidelines. “If any patient were to arrive at the Hospital with a cough or fever, they are directed to put on a mask immediately. In addition, the current protocol includes a detailed attempt to eliminate all other causes of acute respiratory infection, including influenza. Further, they are strictly enforcing isolation in a negative pressure room preventing air from recirculating in the Hospital.”

On Thursday, March 12, The Suffolk County Health Department confirmed that an East Hampton resident is one of 21 Suffolk County residents who have tested positive for the COVID-19. The woman, who is in her late 70s, is under mandatory quarantine and being monitored by the health department. As of now, it appears that all cases to date in the County have been community spread and not linked to travel.

“Residents have been urged to immediately practice ‘social distancing,’ by doing business remotely, by phone or email rather than in person; undertaking only necessary errands or other tasks, and canceling group meetings or gatherings,” the press release from the Town of East Hampton stated. “Community members are reminded to practice general health precautions and sanitary measures including frequent hand washing; the use of hand sanitizers with at least 60 percent alcohol; keeping one’s hands away from the face, sneezing into tissues that should be immediately discarded, keeping a distance away from those who are sick, and remaining at home if ill. Frequently touched surfaces such as doorknobs, tables, desks, etc., should be cleaned and disinfected regularly.”

To watch the entire video, visit www.ltveh.org.

For more information about Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidelines, visit www.cdc.gov.

For updates from the Town of Southampton, visit www.southamptontownny.gov.

For updates from the Town of East Hampton, visit ehamptonny.gov.

For updates from the Village of Sag Harbor, visit www.sagharborny.gov.