Suffolk Sickness

COVID-19 has reached Suffolk county and the number of cases is growing. As of Thursday April 4th, the number of deaths related to the coronavirus is 84, most of them being later in age. Many of them are hospitalized with over 300 in intensive care. 

The virus has had a huge impact nationwide. Many are struggling with unemployment, occupying children, purchasing essentials and paying rent. Many restaurants in our area have closed such as Jimmy’s pizza in Centerport and Healy’s in Greenlawn. However other restaurants remain open, doing take out and curbside pick up. During this time it is important to support local businesses. 

There are shortages of ventilators everywhere due to the daily hospitalizations. The state has sent 200 ventilators to Long Island and 400 to the city. Due to the shortage and importance of ventilators, hospitals have started splitting them between two patients. 

Suffolk has over 20,000 confirmed cases. As of April 10th, there are 70 cases in Centerport, 234 in Greenlawn, 216 in Huntington and 714 in Huntington Station. With the increase in cases, it is important to be prepared. Nancy Krauss, a Centerport resident said, “Since it has spread to Suffolk County, I have been stocking up on at least 2 weeks of fresh food and plenty of canned and non-perishable foods.” She does this in order to limit the number of trips she has to make, living with her 76 year old mother as well as having a compromised immune system, she worries about catching the virus. She has been keeping herself busy by sharing funny memes about the virus on facebook with her friends, “The humor in them helps to keep me from being nervous.” 

Neville Hibbert, a Ronkonkoma resident, feels shocked by the amount of cases, “I feel like it’s a tidal wave that is approaching us and the more cases I hear the more careful we and other families have to be across the island.” He feels his family has gotten closer during their quarantine, saying their main concerns are each other's health. Hibbert has been working from home and has been helping his children out with homework, “We are trying to keep a normal schedule which is important for everyone to do during this time.”