County Executive Laura Curran is gave an update on the COVID-19 outbreak in Nassau Monday afternoon.

BRIEFING NOTES:

-There are 30,013 total COVID cases in Nassau, including many people who have since recovered.

-As of last night, it marked the fifth straight day of fewer daily hospitalizations since high water mark 6 days ago, an 18 percent decline.

-"We're in a good place. We're not done, we're not through the pandemic," Curran says. But she says we're at halftime.

-Curran spoke about Sgt. Joseph Spinosa, the Sands Point police sergeant who died of COVID. He got a send-off on Sunday.

-The percentage of positive cases in those who have been tested has fallen. It's currently at 30%. That is a decline from the peak of crisis, when it was about 50% testing positive. We are moving past confirming the obvious cases and are beginning to get a clearer picture of the scope of the epidemic.

-The state is going to do random testing for antibodies. There will be a site in Nassau, but Curran can't confirm where yet. The testing can't be signed up for -- the state will approach people to see if they have long-term testing. There will be 3,000 tests performed across the state to get a sense of what the exposure is and how widespread the virus was.

-"The numbers are looking better, but we are far from out of the woods," she says.

-Curran says she's honored to be on Gov. Cuomo's task force on reopening. She says the economic impact on families and communities is a special area of concern that's keeping her up at night.

-She is announcing a request to Gov. Andrew Cuomo to delay the collection of school property tax for business owners, property owners and residents, by executive order. She requests that it's moved to June 1 instead of May 10 to give property owners some "breathing room."

-"We want to give them time without interest or penalties," for three weeks, she says, noting that it's especially important for business owners who own property. She says they need help while Washington debates relief, and the meantime she says they need breathing space and time.

-Curran says her administration is working with the Legislature to get Nassau's allocation of funding to the people who are hardest-hit, including families who need to put food on the table, for health services and PPE supplies.

-The governor has said municipalities can start putting plans in placer to reopen golf courses, and she says the county is working on it. She also applauds the governor's move to allow marinas to reopen for boaters.

-She says these are small things, but are "baby steps" toward getting back to normal.

-"I feel that we're over the worst of it," Curran says, but cautions that it needs to be done slowly and carefully to avoid a feared spike in infections.