The heaviest burden of the coronavirus outbreak in our community has fallen upon Young Israel of New Rochelle, many of whose members are quarantined, and all of whom are deeply concerned about the health of neighbors and friends.  This article in USA Today does an excellent job of describing the strength and resilience of the congregation.  Every resident of New Rochelle can be proud of and grateful for the calm, responsible, and public-spirited manner in which YINR has confronted this difficult challenge.

A good interview about confronting coronavirus in New Rochelle.  This extended, uncut and unedited format provides a opportunity to explore the challenges in greater depth.

This afternoon, County Executive George Latimer and I had lunch together at Eden Wok, a kosher Asian restaurant in the Wykagyl section of New Rochelle.  Our intent was not just to have a tasty meal — although it was delicious — our intent was to demonstrate confidence in a neighborhood and business district that have suffered in recent days because of concerns about coronavirus.  You can view our comments here.

Setting aside, of course, residents who are quarantined and have no option, many others in the region may simply be choosing to avoid restaurants and businesses that are perceived to be in some sort of “danger zone.”  Perhaps this is understandable, but the virus does not linger around a whole neighbor like a cloud; it is shared through close contact between individuals.  And complete withdrawal from the commerce and life of our larger community creates its own problems.

Everyone’s risk tolerance is different, and each of us is entitled to make our own judgments.  But at a certain point, risk avoidance becomes debilitating and disproportionate to the real threat.  Sure, you can avoid any chance of a car accident by never driving, yet few of us would make that trade.

For George Latimer and myself, this was an easy call — an excellent meal, a demonstration of support for our neighbors, and every confidence of good health to follow.  If you have a similar outlook, please make a point of continuing to patronize local businesses.  This is a time to come together and do our part for each other.

Earlier today, we received news that a New Rochelle resident had tested positive for Coronavirus, for which he is receiving treatment in New York City.  I join our entire community in extending thoughts and prayers to our neighbor and his family.

Together with other City officials, I have been and will remain in constant communication with County and State leaders, who have primary responsibility for public health matters, and we will assist and support their efforts in any appropriate and constructive fashion.

This will be a very significant challenge for our community.  Already hundreds of residents, chiefly members of the congregation of Young Israel of New Rochelle, have been quarantined as a precautionary measure to limit the spread of the virus.  At a minimum, this will be a deeply distressing and disruptive experience for the families affected.  Investigation of potential avenues of exposure is ongoing and additional directives may follow as needed.

The general population of our city and region, however, is advised to simply continue observing the same public health protocols that have been in place for weeks and which are detailed here.  In addition, the County has issued a fact sheet on this most recent incident here.  Finally, here is footage of a press conference held earlier today by County Executive Latimer, County Health Commissioner Sherlita Amler, and myself.

This is a fast-moving story, with facts evolving on an hour-to-hour basis.  It is highly likely that additional cases of Coronavirus will emerge.  And it is vital for our community and others to maintain an appropriate level of focus and concern in order to safeguard public health.

At the same time, we must steer clear of unwarranted panic, recognizing that the vast majority of those who contract Coronavirus will experience no symptoms at all, and only a small fraction will face life-threatening circumstances.  We can best protect ourselves and our families by carefully following the guidance of public health professionals and by continuing to support each as neighbors and friends.

The State, County and City will continue coordinating as this challenge unfolds and will share information in as timely and accurate a fashion as possible.