(TAN): The supervisors of Long Island’s East End towns are calling for restrictions on travel from New York City as its residents pour into the townships in a bid to escape from the coronavirus epicentre, repots said.
The East End of Long Island constitutes five townships – Southampton, Southold, Shelter Island, Riverhead and East Hampton, at the eastern end of Suffolk country in the United States’ New York state.
According to reports, the Hamptons and the East End towns have been witnessing a rise in New York residents with summer homes in the region – the numbers, remarkably high for March, are typical of what can be seen during the summer months.
The local leaders are worried that the surge will facilitate the further spread of the virus in the East End towns as New York City is being touted as the new epicentre of the pandemic, as per reports. New York City has reported over 20,000 of the country’s total coronavirus cases, Business Insider said. According to data published by John Hopkins University, the United States has 83,836 confirmed cases while New York City has reported 281 deaths.
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As cases have recently gone up in Southold, East Hampton and Southampton, leaders are concerned that the sudden onslaught of homeowners and renters from New York City will put tremendous strain on East End’s limited healthcare system, reports said.
“We get why people want to come out here. We have beautiful open spaces. It’s probably easier for Manhattanites to come out here to their large summer homes than the limited elbow room of their New York City apartments, but it does put a lot of stress on our system,” Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman was quoted by Eyewitness News abc7 as saying.
Southold Supervisor Scott Russell reportedly said the sudden surge has made providing for peoples’ basic needs difficult.
“The virus has put a tremendous strain on our resources. We have a limited number of stores who are trying to keep their shelves stocked and ration out supplies as best they can. Local residents are finding it difficult to meet even their most basic needs. It is simple math, the more people that come, the greater the spread and the greater the confirmed cases,” Russell was quoted by Riverhead Local as saying.
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Schneiderman is working with the other supervisors of East End to send a letter to Governor Andrew Cuomo, urging him to restrict nonessential travel from New York City, as per reports.
“I would like to see the governor go a little further and maybe put some restrictions on unnecessary travel to our area over the next maybe 14 days,” Schneiderman was quoted by Eyewitness News abc7 as saying.
Meanwhile, the White House Coronavirus Task Force urged anyone who comes to the East End from or via New York City to self-quarantine for 14 days, reports said.
“We’re not directly saying shut down New York City. Just consider limitations on nonessential travel… if someone wants to come out and shelter in place and follow the 14-day quarantine, I think that’s acceptable, though we have limited capacity at hospitals and grocery stores,” Newsday quoted Schneiderman as saying.
