Originally posted May 6, 2020
Good evening Rye Brook,
Although we had lousy weather today, we finally had some nice spring weather this past weekend, which brought out many residents. What we all need to remember is that we are still in the midst of a global pandemic, and while the number overall state hospitalizations continues to fall, if we let our guard down we will start to see large numbers of people infected with coronavirus. In fact, we have seen a spike in the number of coronavirus cases here in Rye Brook. The cumulative number of cases is currently 170. That is an increase of more then 20 people in just 5 days. Here are a few other items of note:
- As you are thinking ahead to the summer, so is the Village. Unfortunately, at this point, it is unlikely that we will be able to safely open our traditional day camp and travel camp this summer. We will be sending out a more detailed communication shortly with other possible alternatives for children and teens.
- With many people working from home, there are fewer drivers on the road which introduces the tendency to drive faster. When you are driving, please take note of the increased number of walkers and runners sharing the same roadways as cars and trucks. And on major roads, runners/walkers should travel against traffic, with bikers travelling with traffic.
- For those of you who are golfers, 4 out of 6 public county golf courses are already open, with the remaining 2 (Saxon Woods and Maple Moor) opening this weekend.
Reopening our state is far more complicated than shutting it down. Reopening will be approached on a regional basis. New York State is made up of diverse regions and each region is now facing a different set of circumstances. To determine timing decisions, the Governor’s office will look to four core factors: the number of new infections, health care capacity, diagnostic testing and contact tracing. As areas reopen, these factors will be continually monitored to prevent a second wave of the virus. If you open too quickly, you can immediately have a backlash, as other countries have seen.
Businesses and industries will open in a phased approach. Phase 1 includes construction, manufacturing and select retail (with curbside pickup). Phase 2 includes professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support, and real estate/rental leasing. Phase 3 includes restaurants, food services and hotels. And Phase 4 includes arts, entertainment, recreation, and education. To read all the requirements, please click here.
For more frequent coronavirus updates, please follow me on Twitter @paulrosenberg . Also, please feel free to email me anytime at mayor@ryebrook.org .
Please also remember to respond to the 2020 United States Census. It really has a big impact on the amount of federal funding we receive. If you haven’t already completed the Census form, please visit www.2020census.gov.
Thank you.
Paul S. Rosenberg
Mayor