Rockland To Give Face Masks To Local Small Firms, Nonprofits

NEW CITY, NY — Rockland County will provide protective face masks to local small businesses and nonprofits to assist with reopening and sustaining business operations. The program, called ROCK GOV – FACE COV, was announced Thursday by County Executive Ed Day, Director of Economic Development and Tourism Jeremy Schulman, Director of Purchasing Paul J. Brennan and Director of Fire and Emergency Services Chris Kear.

“As the Mid-Hudson Region and Rockland County have now entered Phase 1, we want to do everything possible to help our local businesses open safely and remain open," Day said. "We understand that there is on-going demand for personal protective equipment and the ‘ROCK GOV – FACE COV’ Program will provide free face coverings to small businesses as they welcome back employees."

As Rockland reopens, its coronavirus outbreak continues to subside. Currently, 72 people are hospitalized with either confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19. As of Wednesday, 50,066 Rockland residents have been tested for the virus since the pandemic began in New York; 13,076 were positive, according to state health officials. There have been 626 deaths.

While Rockland's outbreak has been most severe in West Haverstraw, with 5.56 percent of the population testing positive, the most cases by far have been in Spring Valley — 2,856, or one in five of the county's cases.

To be eligible for the new program, small businesses must employ one to 20 full-time equivalent employees and must be a for-profit or non-profit incorporated organization with most of its operations located in Rockland County. Each business or non-profit will receive 100 face masks.

In order to receive face masks, a representative of each small business must submit a Request Form which can be completed here. All submissions will receive a confirmation email.

Businesses that place requests online will be able to pick up their face masks from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 5 at the front parking lot of the Rockland County Fire Training Center, 35 Firemen’s Memorial Drive in Pomona.

The deadline for application submissions is 5 p.m. Tuesday. For more information, please visit www.RocklandGov.com or call (845) 364-2171.

Supply distribution is through online registration only. No walk-ins will be allowed. Recipients must present a valid driver’s license at time of pick up in order to receive supplies. The face masks being distributed have been donated to the County of Rockland; no taxpayer dollars were spent on the supplies being distributed.