Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone gave his Tuesday COVID-19 update, where he focused on his efforts to continue Memorial Day flag placement at Calverton National Cemetery.

- Bellone thanks Gov. Cuomo for laying out plans to allow some Memorial Day events to go forward.
- Flags will be placed at non-VA cemeteries across Long Island - 1,000 flags currently, but they're looking for up to 7,000 more.
- Bellone asking residents to donate flags that are in good condition - the smaller size flags. Anyone who wants to donate should bring them to H. Lee Dennison Building in Hauppauge. 
- Bellone: 'If we can have beaches open ... we can create a plan to place flags safely to honor American heroes' at Calverton. Sending letter to VA with a 'safe' plan to make it happen.
- Bellone says health commissioner has certified his plan.
- If event doesn't go on, this would be first time in 25 years that every vet at Calverton didn't have a flag placed at their grave.
- Volunteers eagerly awaiting the decision to be overturned, thought original decision to cancel events at Calverton was a 'disgrace.'
- County beaches: Closure to nonresidents will be evaluated on ongoing basis.

NUMBERS:
- 103 new COVID-19 cases in past 24 hours, 38,297 total.
- 10,345 people have tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies without previously being tested.
- Below 500 hospitalizations - decrease by 8 to 497.
- Additional 18 deaths, jumps up from numbers reported Monday. 1,772 total death toll.
- 164 on ICU beds, decrease of 5.
- 30 COVID-19 hospital discharges.

MORE: LIVE BLOG - Coronavirus updates from the tri-state area and beyond 

PHOTOS: Coronavirus heroes on the front lines