The coronavirus infection rate continues to rise on Long Island as local officials sound the alarm that the public must remain vigilant and not get complacent about efforts to curb the pandemic.

As of Tuesday, Nassau County officials reported the latest infection rate is 5.8 percent, the highest it’s been in months, and Suffolk County officials said its latest positivity rate was 6.5 percent. New York State officials said the infection rate for the Long Island region was 5.68 percent as of Monday.

“Today’s news about impending [Food and Drug Administration] approvals for Covid-19 vaccines is monumental, but we must not allow it to lull us into a false sense of complacency,” Nassau County Executive Laura Curran said Tuesday. “Our data is beginning to show a more even distribution of disease activity among all age-groups across the county. We have now reached a clear point of community spread, which calls for increased vigilance from all of us.”

There were 135,519 confirmed Covid-19 cases on Long Island — 69,024 in Suffolk and 66,495 in Nassau as of Tuesday, state date shows. There were 722,464 cases statewide, 15.1 million nationwide, and 68.3 million worldwide as of Wednesday, according to Johns Hopkins University. 

Suffolk saw four straight days of more than 1,000 cases per day last week, and Bellone noted the county saw only 12 days of more than 1,000 new cases per day during the peak of the first wave in the spring. Suffolk had another 1,164 new cases on Monday compared to Nassau’s 863. Bellone reiterated that small gatherings remain the largest risk of spreading the virus, besides not wearing a mask or practicing social distancing.

“I cannot stress enough the dangers posed by small indoor gatherings,” Bellone said. “Just because you are in your home with people you trust does not mean you are safe. If we don’t change our behaviors quickly our hospital system will be at risk of being overwhelmed and we will lose more lives.”

Suffolk reported that as of Saturday there were 359 patients hospitalized and 57 patients in intensive care units. Nassau’s hospitals are reporting 343 Covid-19 patients, 50 in ICU, and 34 intubated, officials said. LI had 18 percent of its hospital beds available and 25 percent of its intensive care unit beds available on a seven-day average as of Tuesday, state data shows.

For more coronavirus coverage, visit longislandpress.com/coronavirus

Four restaurants in Suffolk County and two more in Nassau County recently had their liquor licenses suspended after authorities said the businesses violated New York State-issued coronavirus restrictions. 

The eateries were Rockwell’s Bar & Grill in Smithtown, Station Pub in Sayville, Buen Ambiente in Patchogue, Best Pizza and Dive Bar in Amagansett, Bachata in Hempstead, and Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill in New Hyde Park, officials said.

“As we move into the colder weather and are forced indoors, it is imperative that businesses stay compliant across the state,” State Liquor Authority (SLA) Chair Vincent Bradley said. “New Yorkers must continue wearing masks, practicing social distancing, and following the life-saving protocols put into place to keep us all healthy.”

The six local establishments were among 36 statewide that had their licenses suspended for alleged violations in recent weeks. They are among 279 that have faced similar action since the pandemic restrictions began.

At Rockwell’s Bar & Grill, investigators said they spotted patrons standing, drinking, and walking without facial coverings in the packed bar on Nov. 20, shortly after prior violations were issued there.

On the same date at Station Pub, investigators similarly spotted mask-less patrons walking around, no evidence of food being served as required to be served alcoholic beverages, and a bartender not wearing a facial covering. The bar was also allegedly after the state-mandated 10 p.m. closing time.

“The owner refused to wear a facemask and became belligerent with investigators, refusing to provide the establishment’s liquor license or his ID — both serious violations,
independent of Covid-related rules,” authorities said in a statement.  A GoFundMe campaign was started to help raise money to pay the fines, calling the bar’s closure “a loss to all in this community.”

On Nov. 18, investigators found 43 patrons crowded inside Cabo Sports Bar & Mexican Grill, which has a maximum occupancy of 25 under Covid-related regulations, and documented numerous patrons and employees without masks, tables improperly spaced, and a complete disregard for social distancing protocols. When the investigator returned at 10:30 p.m., the patrons were still drinking, congregating, and smoking hookah.

At Buen Ambiente, Suffolk County police responded to a shooting on Oct 24. While reviewing surveillance video, the restaurant was found to have hosted a large event with more than 50 people standing shoulder-to-shoulder, drinking, dancing and smoking hookah, with two exotic dancers performing lap dances, according to the SLA. Two people were treated at a local hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds.

At Best Pizza and Dive Bar, plainclothes officers from the East Hampton Town Police
Department entered the establishment and observed about 20 patrons seated
at and standing around the crowded bar, mingling, ignoring social distancing, and not
wearing masks on Nov. 15, authorities said. No food was served with alcoholic beverages, they added. And bartenders also continually removed their facial coverings to talk to patrons, officials added.

Lastly, at Bachata, Hempstead village police and the Nassau County Fire Marshalls Office discovered 71 patrons packed inside the premises, many crowding around the bar, despite a maximum occupancy of 44 on Nov. 8. In addition to patrons ignoring social distancing rules, three employees were observed working without facial coverings and no food of any kind was observed being served, according to the SLA.

For more coronavirus coverage, visit longislandpress.com/coronavirus

Multiple people with ties to another pair of restaurants on Long Island have been diagnosed with coronavirus and recent patrons may have been exposed, Suffolk County health officials warned Wednesday.

Anyone who visited Senor Taco Mexican Grill & Bar on Route 25A in Mount Sinai on Nov. 20 or 24 and anyone who visited Phil’s Restaurant on Wading River Manor Road in Wading River between Nov. 20 and 24 should monitor themselves for symptoms for two weeks and get tested for Covid-19, according to the Suffolk Department of Health Services.

Symptoms of Covid-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, or diarrhea, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The advisory follows a string of alerts about coronavirus cases tied to four other local eateries, including Tellers in Islip,  Friendly’s in Riverhead and two restaurants in Oakdale.

The advisory comes after Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently ordered bars and restaurants with liquor licenses to close at 10 p.m. to curb the spread of coronavirus as the infection rate continues to rise in recent weeks.

For information on Covid-19, visit suffolkcountyny.gov/COVID19

For more coronavirus coverage, visit longislandpress.com/coronavirus