This is Mayor Lee Kyriacou with a local Beacon update.
- Half-Staff: Beacon’s flags are flying at half-staff, as we mourn fellow New Yorkers who have succumbed to COVID-19, which tragically now exceeds 7,000 deaths statewide and 14 here in Dutchess County. We will continue to fly at half-staff during the NYS PAUSE.
- COVID Counts: In Dutchess County, there are almost 1,400 active COVID-19 cases, of which 79 are in Beacon. To be clear, that’s 79 active cases, not hospitalizations. Our count is lower than the more urban county communities but higher than others.
- Flattening Curve: In New York City, new hospitalizations and ICU admissions are declining, but are still high. That means all of our sacrifices – business closures, unemployment and social distancing – are working. Please, please don’t let up. Dutchess is a week or two behind New York City, so we are still climbing. We must keep up our efforts for the sake of at-risk community members.
- NYS Unemployment Website: I understand that tonight, the NYS Department of Labor will bring up on its website a newer, more streamlined unemployment application. It should make the situation less frustrating.
- Census: And of course, if you haven’t yet, do your household’s census response.
Thank you all; stay well.