Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone provided a COVID-19 update after his trip to Washington, D.C., where he pushed for federal coronavirus help. He also talked about the county's COVID-19 figures.

- Bellone opens about his trip to Washington, D.C., where he visited to talk about getting federal pandemic assistance.

- Met with Long Island congressional delegation, along with Nassau Executive Curran. 'This is not just about the numbers, this is about peoples' lives.'

- Why the hold up on the aid? Bellone says it's the 'politics of Washington' -- says this is squarely on the shoulders of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, since the House has passed a bill. Hopeful with deadline for unemployment benefits coming that Senate Republicans will 'get serious.'

- Bellone says 'we're running out of time here' and reference McConnell saying he has no problem with local governments going bankrupt. 

- Bellone says Suffolk is already doing what they can at the local level to avoid further financial issues, but calls federal aid about 'survival.'

- 'It feels like we're in the eye of the storm ... we're continuing to see numbers in a good place, while the storm is raging all around the country.'

- Says schools may reopen, while some might not have the funding to do what they need to do this coming school year.

- Bellone says Congress needs to agree to a comprehensive plan to aid schools, local governments and more. Wants to avoid the burden to be placed on taxpayers.

- 'The numbers continue to be in a good place' -- 86 new COVID-19 cases in Suffolk in last 24 hours -- over 43,000 total cases.

- Positive antibodies tests at over 19,000.

- COVID-19 hospitalizations in the 'low to mid-40s' -- recently saw numbers in the 30s for the first time since March.

- No new COVID-19 deaths in the last four days -- there have only been COVID-19 deaths in two of the last 10 days. Death toll at 1,996.

- Bellone says Gov. Cuomo is right to be focusing on following guidance in the wake of a controversial concert in Southampton. But says 'a number of protocols were put in place, for the most part people were in their cars,' but says VIP area caused social distancing issues.

 

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