Suffolk COVID-19 figures climb more than 5% for the first time since May

Suffolk executive Steve Bellone gave his first press conference on COVID-19 in December with a striking comparison between the region’s current numbers and numbers from past months.

Bellone says the county’s current COVID-19 positivity rate has reached 5.2%, rising above 5% for the first time since May 17.

The county executive said, “There is no doubt that we are in this second wave,” adding that the county’s positivity rate was 1.2% in early November, with only 42 hospitalizations related to COVID-19.

Bellona and Governor Andrew Cuomo have continued to bring home that they see larger events as small gatherings.

The Suffolk executive said “blatant” violations were rare, but pointed to a recent mass rally in Brookhaven on November 30. He said the gathering of 300 to 400 people led to several 911 calls and a response from the police. He says it was found that the host of the gathering was not the owner, but an Airbnb tenant. He says those responsible will be held accountable.

Suffolk Police Chief Stuart Cameron said the property, located on Hawkins Lane, was quite large. He says the tenant was from New Jersey and the police were on the scene for about four hours, adding that it took some time to clear the area because it was at a dead end.

Cameron says the attendees were cooperative and that the police were on the scene relatively early in the party. He says those responsible could face charges.

Bellona joined Governor Cuomo on Monday as he revealed changes to the way cluster designations are made, including how hospitalization rates will now come into play.

Bellone was joined by the chairman of the Association of Suffolk School Superintendents, Ron Masera, who spoke about the county’s COVID-19 school protocols. Bellone said keeping schools open was their “top priority” and that they did not see a significant spread within schools. Masera also said he believes keeping children in school helps prevent the community from spreading.

The county also recently launched school-based testing programs in Hampton Bays and Riverhead, which Bellone said were the first of their kind on Long Island.