Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says COVID-19 cases are increasing and the focus remains on robust testing and protecting hospital capacity.

The county has reported a seven-day infection rate of 4.2% with 274 hospitalized and 36 in the intensive care unit.

“We are doing well, but we are seeing numbers increasing in Nassau. We are seeing 65% of new cases are coming from social gatherings,” says Curran.

As of Wednesday, Nassau currently has two yellow zones, Massapequa Park with a 6.1% infection rate and Great Neck with a 4.3%. Within those zones, 20% of those in schools has to be tested and must maintain that level of testing.

"In a yellow zone, 20% of the population has to be tested just once now, and then they can maintain that, they don't have to keep testing unless they go into an orange zone. Orange zone is 20% of the population must be tested once a month and red zone 30% must be tested once a month," says Curran.

No towns in Nassau are currently in the orange or red zones.

Meanwhile, Curran says the county remains committed to helping commercial and residential taxpayers feeling the impact of the virus.

“Due to uncertainty and chaos cause by pandemic and continued economic hardships I am putting a pause on property assessment evaluation updates,” says Curran.

The move means current assessment values for 2021-2022 year will be carried through 2022-2023.

Curran says the move was made so the new assessment would not be based on the current chaotic real estate values caused by the pandemic and to give people a sense of certainty.