Jericho Firefighters Urge Public To Remain Calm — And Hygienic

JERICHO, NY — As the new coronavirus sweeps through Long Island, firefighters in Jericho offered up a couple tips to the community. The Jericho Fire Department said it was closely monitoring the outbreak, which the World Health Organization this week officially labeled a "pandemic."

"We are, and have been for some time, in close contact with the state and local health departments, local hospitals and other local emergency response and preparedness agencies," Kerry Ketsoglou, chief of the department, wrote in a letter to the community Friday.

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He assured residents that first responders are well-trained in dealing with communicable diseases and offered advice to those alarmed by the virus, officially called COVID-19.

• Reduce the risk of transmission from potentially infected persons by maintaining high hygiene standards as recommended by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and minimize close contact with people who may be infected.
• Keep up to date with factual information recommendations about the outbreak by finding information on the CDC's website, as well as the state and county health departments.

Ketsoglou urged anyone who feels they're sick enough to need an ambulance to accurately answer all questions from the 911 operator, including those related to the presence of a fever, cough and recent travel history.

"This information helps our crews better prepare to assist you while enroute to your emergency," he said, adding that residents should remain calm over the next few weeks.

Those experiencing shortness of breath, cough, fever of over 100.4 should: contact a primary care doctor, call the coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065, and contact the county Health Department at 516-227-9697 or 516-742-6154.

New York has more than 500 cases as of Saturday morning, according to the state Department of Health. That includes 68 in Nassau County, 33 in Suffolk, and more than 200 in New York City. Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday announced the first coronavirus-related death in the state: an 82-year-old woman who had emphysema died Friday night at a hospital in Brooklyn, 10 days after she was first admitted, officials said.

The state and Nassau County both declared states of emergency amid a rising number of infections. In Nassau, the majority are in Hempstead.

Concerns over coronavirus — which has infected more than 153,000 people worldwide as of Saturday morning and caused about 5,800 deaths — have had far-reaching effects. In a series of drastic moves, the NBA, NHL and MLS suspended their seasons and the NCAA canceled March Madness tournaments. The PGA Tour canceled the Players Championship after the first round. The virus also prompted President Donald Trump to restrict travel from Europe.

Cuomo banned gatherings of 500 or more people, shutting down Broadway. Events, gatherings or businesses with fewer than 500 individuals in attendance will be required to cut capacity by 50 percent. Exceptions will be made for spaces where individuals do not make sustained close contact, such as schools, hospitals, public buildings, mass transit, grocery stores and retail stores. Cuomo also banned all visitors to nursing homes and senior care facilities.

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