The Rockland County Health Department is requiring all educational institutions, childcare programs and school transportation companies to require and ensure all children and students over age two wear masks at all times, except for approved breaks, or risk fines up to $2,000 per violation per day. The move comes as COVID numbers spike in Ramapo and Spring Valley. Rockland County executive Ed Day says violations can be reported to the County’s COVID-19 Hotline at 845-238-1956 on Monday-Friday from 8am – 5pm or by email to COVIDCallCenter@co.rockland.ny.us.
A group of Rockland Orthodox and Hasidic Jewish rabbis has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to block Governor Andrew Cuomo’s COVID-19 restrictions, on the grounds that he has targeted their religion and violated their constitutional rights. The Journal News says suit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on Wednesday. The complaint alleges the governor’s Executive Order was based on “fear, and not on any objective data.”
COVID-19 by the numbers now, here in Rockland, we’ve got one in the hospital being examined, another 19 have been confirmed with coronavirus, and a total of 1,340 active cases. The state says since the crisis began, we’ve had a total of 16,972 reported cases, 81 more than Thursday, and the Rockland Health Department says we have 680 total fatalities.