The number of new coronavirus cases is rising again on Long Island as officials urge the public not to get complacent about safety measures meant to curb the pandemic.
Suffolk County reported 102 new cases Tuesday, its first triple-digit increase in new COVID-19 diagnoses since May 31. And Nassau County saw 69 new cases, the largest increase in weeks.
“The numbers are moving in the wrong direction,” Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone told reporters, reiterating his plea for the public to wear masks in public, practice social distancing, and stay home if sick.
The uptick comes as Gov. Andrew Cuomo added more hot-spot states to the list of those from where travelers need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival in New York State.
As of Tuesday, there were 84,637 cases on LI — 42,423 in Nassau, 42,214 in Suffolk — 403,175 statewide, 3.4 million nationwide, and 13 million worldwide. As for fatal cases, there were 4,183 on LI — 2,190 Nassau, 1,993 Suffolk — 24,994 statewide, 136,244 nationwide, and 575,178 worldwide.
Officials expressed concern with the rising number of cases among people under the age of 40 who can pass it on to more vulnerable senior populations that are most likely to succumb to the disease.
Cuomo cited as an example of how quickly the virus spreads involved a Forth of July party in Suffolk in which 35 percent of attendees tested positive. Bellone said that the governor’s statistic was based on preliminary estimates of those suspected of testing positive and that after results came in, it was actually 22 percent, or four people, at the party who tested positive.
Contact tracers are continuing to investigate that and several other recent parties, he added. The county executive noted that the party Cuomo cited did not violate crowd size limits or result in a police response.
“If you attended a Fourth of July gathering…you should be extremely sensitive to how you are feeling,” Bellone said. “When in doubt, get tested.”
Related Story: How An Army of Contact Tracers Are Key To Long Island’s Reopening
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