It’s been a couple of days since our last update, but there are a couple of new local items.

1. Dutchess Website:  Dutchess County, which tracks county-wide COVID-19 cases, has begun disclosing cases by community.  Their website is www.dutchessny.gov, and on the home page there is a link to COVID-19 Data Dashboard, which takes you there.  The website shows that Beacon has 28 confirmed cases out of a county total of almost 400.  Note that with greater testing, we end up with more cases than those with less testing.
2. Water Bills:  Water bills were mailed out today.  Pay your bill by mail, online at www.cityofbeacon.org using our new “Pay Bills” button, in the drop box in front of City Hall, or at M&T Bank’s drive-up window at 200 Main Street.  For everyone’s safety, pay your bill by one of these methods.
3. Groceries for Those in Need:  For anyone in need, tomorrow Wednesday, April 1, there will be free boxes of groceries for pick up, from 10:00-10:45 AM at Beacon High School and South Avenue School. If you are in need of a delivery, please call or text 845-288-2559 or email mutualaidbeacon@gmail.com.  Thank you to the Beacon City School District, Beacon Mutual Aid, Common Ground Farm, Cornell Cooperative Extension’s Green Teen Program, Fareground, Food Bank of the Hudson Valley, and Hudson Valley Seed.
4. Census:  Don’t forget the census – due April 1st. 

Thank you all; stay well. 

The Center for Disease Control is responding to an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).

FEDERAL

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Assistance

FEMA Covid-19 Information

NEW YORK STATE

New York State Coronavirus Hotline 1-888-364-3065

New York State Official COVID-19 Website
This contains a summary of the latest information announced by the Governor, public health guidance, and more.

Department of Health Guidance on How to Protect Yourself and Your Family from COVID-19 When Enjoying the Outdoors

MTA Metro-North and LIRR Service Updates

Essential Businesses Defined

DUTCHESS COUNTY

Dutchess County Coronavirus Hotline (845) 486-3555

Dutchess County Mental Health Hotline (24/7): (877) 485-9700

Please see this link for live updates about Coronavirus from Dutchess County.

Nuvance Health Opens COVID-19 Collection Sites in Dutchess and Ulster Counties
you must have a physician’s order and an appointment Mon – Sat 8:30 – 3:30

Dutchess Business Notification Network

Dutchess Responds
Dutchess County is a community that truly cares and we have come together to rapidly respond to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 outbreak. Whether you need help getting food, medications, or household essentials or you want to offer help and assistance through monetary donations, collecting or donating goods, volunteering, or more. We can connect you!

Community Resource Guide from United Way of Dutchess – Orange Region

Small businesses in Dutchess County Now Eligible for Disaster Relief
Dutchess County business are eligible for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program through the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. For further guidance and instruction on applying for an SBA loan you can also reach out to the Mid-Hudson Small Business Development Center (845) 802-9150.

Essential Businesses Defined

Viruses Don’t Discriminate and Neither Should We 

CITY OF BEACON

City Hall will remain open to the public. The Building Department will be closed to visits from the public but will remain open via telephone and email. Documents can be exchanged with the Building Department through the Mayor’s Office.

Clerk’s Office: The Clerk’s Office has suspended issuing marriage licenses at this time.

City of Beacon Local Resource Guide

GET INVOLVED

New York State
New York State is doing all it can to keep New Yorkers safe and stop the spread of COVID-19. But we’re stronger if we all work together. Governor Cuomo is calling on health care professionals, schools of public health or medicine and PPE products providers and manufacturers to come forward to support the state’s response. It’s going to be hard, it’s going to be disruptive, but we will get through this together.

Dutchess County
Dutchess Responds, we can connect you.

Check out today’s Coronavirus update from County Executive Molinaro about the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the county, the number of tests administered, and a quick reminder to fill out your census data at 2020census.gov

To learn more about how you can help, visit DutchessNY.gov/DutchessResponds

Cornell Cooperative Extension is having another mass grocery delivery this Wednesday April 1st, 2020. Cornell Cooperative Extension will be handing out groceries to anyone who needs them. Distribution will take place from 10- 10:45am at the Beacon High School and South Ave Elementary School. Please see the flyers below.

County Executive Molinaro said, “He will host a second live Telephone Town Hall to help keep the community connected during these uncertain and unique times. Having reliable, vetted information is critically important in an emergency and I encourage all Dutchess County residents to call in this Thursday, April 2nd starting at 5:30pm, to hear updates on the current situation, how our new #DutchessResponds initiative is helping, and have your questions answered.”

When the Telephone Town Hall meeting begins, an automated system will dial residents’ homes.    If you receive a call at your house, you can simply join the Telephone Town Hall by staying on the line. Participants can choose to listen to the meeting, or you can ask questions. If you wish to ask a question, just follow the directions given.

If you do not receive a call, or would like to dial into the Telephone Town Hall meeting from your cell phone or other location, call the toll-free number (845) 765-7121.

The meeting will last until 7pm. Residents are encouraged to listen to the Telephone Town Hall meeting for the duration, but can exit the meeting at any time by hanging up their telephone.

Additionally, the County’s Coronavirus hotline (845) 486-3555 and webpage, dutchessny.gov/coronavirus, are updated regularly with the most current facts and are available to answer residents’ questions 24 hours a day.

Coronavirus.htm

Thank You To All the Parents Doing Their Part – 3.27.20

Click the video above to watch today’s Coronavirus update from County Executive Marc Molinaro about schools remaining closed and thanking parents for doing their part every day.

For up to date, accurate information about COVID-19 in Dutchess County, visit DutchessNY.gov/Coronavirus

To learn more about how you can help visit DutchessNY.gov/DutchessResponds

Effective Monday, March 30, the Dutchess County Clerk’s Office will be closed to the public due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The Clerk’s office will continue to receive allowable court filings through the NYSCEF filing system as well as through the mail. For more information, please visit the New York Courts website.

Land records can also be accepted through the mail or via the Clerk’s electronic portal.

The Clerk’s Record Room, located on the second flood of the County Office Building, 22 Market Street, will be open Monday- Friday from 1-4pm for title searching only.

For questions or an emergency, please call 845-486-2131.

All NYS Department of Motor Vehicle Offices and all Dutchess County Offices remain closed to the public.

To surrender license plates, please mail them to: 

DMV
22 Market St
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601

Include $1 cash or check and a self-addressed, stamped envelope so we may send you the receipt. If you have more than one year left on the registration, please indicate if you would like a refund or a credit for a future vehicle. Your plate surrender receipt will be dated based on the post mark.

For Dutchess County DMV questions, please call 845-486-2384 9am-4pm Monday-Friday.

For future updates please check the Dutchess County Clerk’s website at dutchessny.gov/countyclerk.

1. COVID-19:  No additional official information specific to Beacon.  Same stores and city services operating.  Thank you everyone.
2. Pay Online / Water Bills:  As I mentioned yesterday, you can pay your water bill online at www.cityofbeacon.org.  We are making a big push to pay this quarter’s water bill electronically or by check – so please help us succeed.  Our bill pay function is limited this week to cards only, for which there is a 3% fee; if you wait a week, you will be able to pay from your checking account for a flat 75 cents.
3. Census:  And again, I know we have other things on our minds, but remember to complete your household’s census survey by April 1st – at my2020census.gov. 

Thank you all; stay well.  

Official information is on state, county and city websites or on public Channel 22:

• https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
• https://www.dutchessny.gov/ and click on the COVID-19 link.
• www.cityofbeacon.org – or go to Channel 22.

Here are the important steps you should take to protect yourself from COVID-19. The CDC has several tips that all people with Medicare can do to stay healthy.

The CDC recommends that you:

• Stay home if possible.
• Wash your hands often.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
• Avoid all cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
• Contact your healthcare professional if you have concerns about COVID-19 or if you are sick.

More Info

If you do need to see your doctor, please call them first. They may be able to use telehealth services for common office visits, mental health counseling, and preventive health screenings.