Expanding Testing & Exploring the Data
The reporting that Westchester County is now providing identifies current active cases, which tells a more complete story than just the accumulation of total positive cases. The total number of positive cases since testing began is in parentheses. The number without parentheses is the number of current active cases. The numbers on this chart are from Friday, the latest map provided by the county.
There's good news on the testing front. Increased testing is a critical step toward a phased reopening. Since the pandemic began, test kits had been in short supply, so testing has been limited to people who were symptomatic. Thankfully that's changing. We are now seeing more healthcare providers offering diagnostic and antibody testing to their patients even if they are not symptomatic. Open Door will soon be expanding the testing they are able to offer as well.
Coronavirus is spread when people are in close proximity to others, so it's no surprise that we see more positive cases in densely populated communities. Ossining is fortunate that we have been at the forefront of diagnostic testing thanks to Open Door operating as a testing site since the earliest days of the virus. A higher rate of testing means a higher rate of known positive cases. The high rate of testing in Ossining is great news from a healthcare perspective because patients are provided with the support and advice they need to reduce the rate of transmission. However, seeing the relatively high rate of infection has been scary for Ossining residents.
Let's compare the Friday numbers for Village of Ossining with the Village of Port Chester and the City of Peekskill—communities with similar demographics. Port Chester has a slightly higher population and is more densely populated than Ossining. Peekskill has a slightly lower population and is less densely populated than Ossining. Ossining has 133 active cases and 960 total confirmed positive cases. Port Chester also has an Open Door testing site which is reflected in their 175 active cases and total number of cases as 1,067. As testing is ramping up in northern Westchester, the number of known active cases is increasing in communities that have not hosted a testing site since March. For example, Peekskill which has not had the benefit of a site like the Open Door, now has 165 active cases, though they only have 781 total known positive cases.
Last week's village board meeting opened with another lengthy discussion about the budget. Several capital projects were put on hold for review in 6 or 12 months. In some instances where projects will continue to move forward we may change how to fund a project. With so much uncertainty, we are working to preserve the availability of our fund balance to prevent raising taxes in a year or two when the full impact of the pandemic will be felt in the assessment rolls.
Click here for the full agenda and link to the meeting video
.
Community Connections
To reach out by email:
- Mayor Victoria Gearity (gearity@villageofossining.org);
- Board of Trustees (bot@villageofossining.org); or
- Village Manager Karen D'Attore (kdattore@villageofossining.org).
This Week's Meeting
This week's work session begins with a discussion about the village owned property on the corner of Water Street and Central Avenue, known as the DPW site. I have recused myself from deliberation of this project. Last fall my husband, who is a local business owner, raised concerns about the type of development the village is prioritizing for this site. He met with the village manager and each trustee to express his interest in seeing the development of the property to be primarily commercial rather than residential, and to incorporate recommendations from Cornell's Climate-adaptive Design study of waterfront development in Ossining. Recusing myself from the responsibility to serve village constituents on any matter is not an action I take lightly. However, at this stage it would be inappropriate for me to participate as an elected official in consideration of how to develop the DPW site.
I anticipate a fairly lengthy meeting on Wednesday. After I return to the virtual table, we will be discussing items related to the planning department fees, escrow fees, municipal parking lot tags, the youth bureau, and an update for the trap/neuter/return program for feral cats.
Click here for the full agenda and link to attend
. Work sessions are an opportunity for elected officials to speak with staff and invited experts. The public is welcome to watch the meeting via the link provided, or later on the
village's YouTube channel
.
I look forward to seeing you virtually for now.
With Regards,
