Yorktown Reinstates State Of Emergency; Mandates Masks At Parks

YORKTOWN, NY — The Yorktown town board voted to reinstate a state of emergency declaration Thursday in response to rising cases of the new coronavirus.

Town Supervisor Matt Slater said the trustees were trying to prevent a shut down.

"The whole point of this is to prevent the state from putting greater restrictions on our community," he said. "That means we have to rely on the community to take proper action."

The original state of emergency was made March 13; it expired in the summer.

The emergency declaration gives the town supervisor the authority to issue emergency orders that could include the closing of public places, curfews and other restrictions.

In addition to the emergency declaration, the town board on Tuesday voted to require all visitors to town parks, recreational facilities and buildings to wear a mask or face shield covering the mouth and nose.

Some visitors in recent weeks to Yorktown parks have refused to put on masks and other have refused to leave parks for not observing social distancing, according to town officials.

Signs will be posted at the town's parks to remind visitors of the mandate.

The map issued Thursday by Westchester County of total and active cases of the new coronavirus showed Yorktown with 73 active cases — meaning people who tested positive for the virus and have yet to clear the two-week infectious period. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there have been 975 confirmed positive cases of the virus in the town.

Like Hudson Valley Patches' Facebook Pages.