What Happened to the Westchester County COVID Map?
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What happened to the COVID counts by Village and why are there no more COVID maps from the County?
After a week of wondering where the COVID counts were going, County Executive George Latimer held a COVID briefing at 2 pm on Monday December 21 and explained why he had made the decision to stop sending out the maps.
Latimer explained that the counts on the maps were based on individual records of positive COVID counts by name and address from the state. The county had been taking this data, aggregating it by zip code and producing the map that was then published on the county’s Facebook page.
However, Latimer said that often the data was 3 or 4 days old by the time the map was issued and that zip codes are not unique to one Village, so some of the counts may have crossed Village lines. He used Scarsdale as an example, saying that the 10583 zip code also includes parts of Yonkers, Eastchester and New Rochelle, so that map might not reflect what is actually going on in the Scarsdale School district.
He said that the county was working on a better analysis and said he hoped to issue new information by the end of this week…. December 25.
In the meantime he reported on the numbers for Westchester County overall where, as of Sunday December 20, the positive rate was 5.3% with a 7-day average of 5.9%. You can check the daily counts for the county on the NYS website here.
Latimer reported that there were a total of 8,269 active cases on Monday, almost double the 4,344 active cases on November 20, just before Thanksgiving. However, in the last five days, cases have decreased somewhat, hitting a high of 8,771 on December 15 and falling to 8,269 on Sunday December 20. Latimer said it was too early to tell if this was a trend. The county is still seeing about 500 new positive cases a day, a 5% ratio to the number tested. (As of Tuesday, December 22, cases had climbed back up to 8,910 with a 6% positive rate.)
About the numbers in the hospital, as of Saturday December 19, 353 were in County hospitals with COVID. This has risen steadily from 348 one week ago, 321 two weeks ago, 244 three weeks ago and 168 a month ago. As there are 2,400 beds in Westchester County hospitals, he reported that we are not reaching capacity.
A total of 1,606 people have died from COVID in Westchester since the beginning of the crisis. This week 44 people passed away and two weeks ago we lost 35 people.
The NYS School tracker as of 12/18 reported 29 positive cases among students in the Scarsdale Schools and 21 staff/teachers.
So if you’re wondering how many people in Scarsdale are positive, stay tuned. Latimer is promising new information by the end of the week. In the meantime, click here for statewide statistics.
Cuomo and Latimer Ask Residents to be Vigilant: COVID Cases Jump 55% in Scarsdale
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It was another big week for the spread of COVID in Westchester and statewide, according to briefings from both Governor Andrew Cuomo and Westchester County Executive George Latimer.
As of December 7, Latimer reported 7,830 active cases in the county, up from 5,764 a week ago and more than double the count of 3,480 three weeks ago. He said the active case count had not been this high since April 28 when there were 8,000 active cases.
The Governor is keeping his eye on hospitalizations and Latimer estimated that about 300 are in the hospital with COVID at this time. With 3,000 hospital beds in the county, there is currently available capacity. He reported that hospitalizations are growing at 15-20 per day and we are losing about two people per night.
Latimer noted that since all civic activities have stopped but the virus is still spreading it is an indication that it is spreading in private settings. Governor Cuomo said, “We’re closely monitoring hospital capacity and have implemented triggers to ensure hospitals have what they need. The light at the end of the tunnel is the vaccine, and one is coming, but until then we must be disciplined. Public health experts agree households and private gatherings are a major driver of transmission right now, demonstrating once again that it is our actions that determine the infection rate. We know what works: wear a mask, avoid indoor gatherings, and socially distance, and the local governments must do enforcement. We will win this war but it will take vigilance and everyone working together.”
The Governor has directed all hospitals to increase their bed capacity by 25% and called on retired doctors and nurses to return to service.
As of now, Cuomo has not declared any new yellow or orange zones in Westchester. They remain as they were last week with the following areas zoned due to their positivity rates:
Peekskill – yellow – 10.59% rolling average
Ossining – yellow – 8.68%
Tarrytown/Sleepy Hollow – yellow – 5.7%
Yonkers – yellow – 5.76%
New Rochelle – yellow – 5.94%
Port Chester – orange – 11.42%
Also note as of December 7, the number of active cases in Scarsdale has climbed to 67, up 24 cases from December 1, 2020.
One Down, Two To Go: Girls Varsity A Soccer Moves On To The Next Round Of Playoffs
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Jojo Denion, #16, chest trapping a ball in the air. On Thursday, November 19th, the Girls Varsity A Soccer team was triumphant- once again- claiming victory against Ardsley in round one of the playoffs. The victory was captured through stylistic goals and a strong team presence on the field. Intense pressure was put on Ardsley from the start, as the Raiders presented an urge to win, but beyond winning, to conquer the field a by an overwhelming margin.
The final score was 6-2; The first 4 goals were scored in the first half of the game, leaving Ardsley with a large gap to fill. Ardsley had a difficult time catching up as their play was mostly “kick and chase”. The Raiders defensive line, lead by Captains Victoria Von Redden, #17, and Emily Yacob, #19, proved to be fierce as they stopped breakaways, captured long balls, and maneuvered through Ardsley’s attacking players. Additionally, senior goalkeeper Dylan Gross, #35, was a powerful and leading communicator on the field, commanding the defense and encouraging her teammates.
Season leading scorers, Alessia Schettino, #20, and Riena Parente Ribeiro, #7, were two leading performers during the first playoff game. Both players scored two goals each, in addition to one goal scored by Jojo Denion, #16, and one goal scored by Lizzie Wachs, #23. Lola Tirabassi, #13, showed her skills by providing 4 assists, and Victoria Von Redden demonstrated that a defensive player could do it all by assisting a goal.
Kate Braverman, #6, maneuvers around an Ardsley player.
Schettino put constant pressure on Ardsely’s defense and was highly aggressive in the final third of the field, especially when it came time to shoot and score. Riena Parente Ribeiro, nicknamed “RPR” by her coaches and teammates has been an essential part of the midfield. Parente Riberio acknowledges that “after a strong start, our team started to struggle to connect simple passes and there were a few miscommunications. [However,] we were able to overcome these difficulties and dominated the end of the second half. We ended the game with a confident mindset to lead us to the semifinals.”
Audrey Gendel, #9, dribbles around Ardsley.
The second playoff game against rivals New Rochelle-on Saturday, November 21st-will be packed with action, competition, and heart. Schettino says, in the next playoff game “We need to capitalize on our opportunities... If we see the net, we have to score.” Parente Riberio comments that “New Rochelle is a tough opponent and we always look forward to playing them because they are our rivals and a competitive team. The stakes are going to be higher than during our previous games and both teams will bring 100%. I’m excited for the energy and the competition.” Girls Varsity A Soccer will put their all into every second of the game, until the desired outcome.
Photos and text by Sophia Caione.
Abigail Talish, #14.
Latimer Reports Another Sharp Increase in COVID Cases this Week
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Unfortunately, predictions about a post-Thanksgiving surge in COVID cases are turning out to be accurate. At a briefing on November 30, 2020, County Executive George Latimer reported that the prior days numbers continue to show a sharp increase in the rate of infection. As of November 30, there were 6,117 active cases in Westchester, up more than 1,300 from the prior week’s count of 4,800 active cases. Two weeks ago, the active case count was 3,515 so the county has seen a 74% increase in active cases in just 14 days.
The number of active cases is alarming as is the infection rate which Latimer reported was 5.6% for the last 24 hours. The infection rate for the two prior days was 4.7% and 5.0%.
Hospitalizations are on the rise as well, but so far the number of cases can be accommodated by Westchester’s hospitals. As of Monday 244 were in the hospital with COVID as compared to 168 a week ago and 121 two weeks ago.
And finally 15 people passed away last week, and in the last two weeks, the county lost a total of 25 people.
Latimer said he had spoken to the Governor whose priorities are to:
-Manage hospitalizations and staffing.
-Make sure we have testing – especially for school students and staff.
-Stop the spread of the virus at fall gatherings.
He commented that the county has already shutdown sports, gatherings, meetings and public events and therefore it is up to individuals to stop the spread. Latimer noted that there was no change in designated yellow and orange zones since last week.
Finally as of December 1, the case count in Scarsdale had risen to 43, an all-time high.
Girls Varsity A Soccer is Back on Top: Winning the League, Triumphing Over North Rockland and Preparing for Playoffs
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The Girls Varsity A Soccer team celebrates a 4-2 victory against North Rockland in the pouring rain. Girls Varsity Soccer has risen back to the top after last season ended abruptly with a loss against Suffern in the first playoff game. The 2020 team is made up of returning players and rising stars, all of whom have the mentality that losing is not an option.
COVID-19 may have delayed the path to victory, but it was just another obstacle this team has overcome. As Coach Mindy Genovese said, “Playing during a pandemic makes us all appreciate the sport and being able to come together to be a part of a team to focus on something positive. We play like it’s our last game or practice because it very well could and this has elevated our level of intensity during every training session and game.” For safety precautions, cohorts were created and the team was separated into specific groups during practices. However, Coach Genovese said that once the “cohorts were able to join forces, we were able to incorporate more drills that involved closer physical play, but continued to distance during any breaks or while waiting in lines to participate in drills.”
Senior Sasha Fischer, #11, goes for a header.
Being a captain of a team is not always easy, but it certainly can be rewarding. During this time, the captains have had to adapt to the circumstances while still being effective leaders. Captain Victoria Von Redden comments “When I was first elected captain, I talked to my previous captain on what I could do to make this year memorable and this team amazing. Unfortunately, a lot of their advice is not usable for me since the pandemic ruined so many of the teams off field traditions. But I must say, even though it’s been challenging, being able to have this season during this time feels like a gift.”
This team has certainly proved that- in these unprecedented times- a united group can face a world of adversity. Coach Mindy Genovese recognizes that despite the minimal time given to prepare for the season, “the dynamic between our upperclassmen and rookies has been amazing.” She notes that the seniors on the team “have stepped up to help lead and guide [the] newest members from the start, especially the captains (Anastasia Stefanou, Victoria Von Redden, and Emily Yacob).”
The tag team Alessia Schettino, #20, and Lola Tirabassi, #13.
The team has welcomed 10 newbies, adding to the 14 returning players. This group puts the “team” in “teamwork.” Captain Victoria Von Redden explains that “our team tries to incorporate all players of the team into our plays [because] relying too much on one player and not really connecting with your teammates isn’t an efficient strategy.”
Girls Varsity A Soccer has outperformed any other team in the league. They are the “League Champions” with numbers to prove it. They had six wins, no losses and two ties. Out of these 6 victories are 2 highly significant wins- one against long time rival Mamaroneck and the other against New Rochelle. Scarsdale defeated Mamaroneck in a 3-2 victory that featured 2 goals from second year varsity athlete Alessia Schettino, #20, and one goal by newbie freshman Lola Tirabassi, #13, with assists from Lola Tirabassi and junior Justine Karp, #10.
On November 13th, Scarsdale Raiders proved to be deserving of the title “League Champions” with an intense home game, resulting in a 2-1 victory against New Rochelle. Lola Tirabassi, scoring the first goal and veteran player Jojo Denion, #16, putting the second goal in the back of the net, leading the team to a major win. In addition to winning the league, the team has claimed victory against North Rockland for the first time in 4 years with goals by Alessia Schnettino, Kate Braverman, #6, Lola Tirabassi, and Abigail Talish, #14 and assists by: Alessia Scnettino and Sasha Fischer, #11. Senior Sasha Fischer believes that the team “truly deserved [winning the league because] every girl put her heart out on the field and was determined to represent Scarsdale.” The final score against North Rockland was 4-2, two goals were scored in the last ten minutes of the second half. Thus far the 2020 Girls Varsity A Soccer team showed up and showed out with combined league and non-league games resulting in an 8-0-2 record.
The Girls Varsity A Soccer team is now preparing for playoffs. Their first playoff game is Thursday, November 18th. The team had a BYE the first round of playoffs which has allowed them additional time to train hard. Coach Mindy Genovese advised that they are currently “working on drills that focus on possessing the ball through passing patterns, pressing, dropping, changing the point of attack, playing under pressure quickly, and staying organized defensively.” With the title of “League Champions” on their shoulders, according to Victoria Von Redden, the team has made “sure not [to be] overconfident because [they] never want to underestimate [their] opponents'', while still being “happy with how [they’ve] done so far and confident that [they will] continue [their] amazing record.” The team is looking forward to the playoffs; Coach Mindy Genovese “hope[s] to have a deep run in [the] regional playoffs”, and captain Victoria Von Redden is “looking towards the playoffs with an optimistic view.” With the mentality, teamwork, and effort put into this season, the first playoff game will be quite a show.
Text and Photos by Sophia Caione
Senior goalkeeper Dylan Gross, #35.
