GOSHEN – Four more people have died in Orange County from the coronavirus, county officials announced on Sunday. That makes a total of nine people who have lost their lives to the deadly virus.

Those deaths announced late Sunday include a man over the age of 80, a man over the age of 50, a woman over the age of 90 and another woman over the age of 80. All four had pre-existing health conditions.

Previously, four women and one man died from COVID-19.

The total number of confirm cases of the virus in Orange County as of Sunday is 1,243.

ALBANY – State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker said Sunday he expects coronavirus deaths in New York to be “in the thousands.” As of mid-day Sunday, there were 965 reported deaths. Zucker made his comments during Governor Andrew Cuomo’s daily virus news briefing.

Cuomo said one-quarter of the deaths in the state are occurring in nursing homes, where residents are elderly or have underlying medical conditions. He said nursing homes are “toxic” for the virus. “It’s lethal.”

The governor also said health officials expect the apex of the pandemic in New York to be rolling. The City of New York is the center of the virus now and he said it will likely travel to Westchester County or Long Island next.

He also extended his directive that all non-essential government workers stay home until April 15.

The USNS Comfort, a 1,000 fed hospital ship, is expected to arrive in New York harbor tomorrow (Monday). The fully staffed floating facility will not be used to treat COVID-19 patients, but rather to backfill patients with other medical conditions who would normally be treated at hospitals.

Cuomo said say the state is resilient. “This is New York. We will make it through. We are going to be okay.”

HUDSON VALLEY – For over 20 years, Mid Hudson News has been faithfully serving the community with breaking local news. As the emergency situation unfolds around us, we are dedicated to continuing to keeping you updated at every moment.

We are working around the clock to make sure you are as and informed as possible, and our thoughts are with our community, especially those currently fighting the virus and the heroic healthcare professionals and first responders who are toiling around the clock to save lives.

In addition to our regular news coverage, we have launched several new features to further assist the community in this time of need.

1. A dedicated page for COVID-19 related news

We have created an entire section on the site devoted specifically to news about COVID-19. You can visit this area directly from our website menu to stay updated.

A subsection of this will focus specifically on the local stories of heroism and struggle that are unfolding all around us. It is easy to focus on the staggering statistics and numbers, but it is also important to focus on the local impact COVID-19 is having, in both the struggle and the solutions that our community is contending with.

If you have a personal story you would like to share, please email submissions@midhudsonnews.com.

2. A Free Business Directory

Currently, many businesses are struggling or forced to close completely. Especially hard-hit is the food industry, our local restaurants, taverns, and coffee shops. To assist businesses to cope with their new reality and get the word out there, we have launched a new business directory on our site which we are making available completely free.

Businesses can now add their information to the directory, and include any relevant details regarding delivery or availability in their profile, making it easier for others to stay updated and able to contact them. These listings will then be circulated throughout the site, which receives over a million views every month.

3. Advertising Discounts for Local Businesses

To assist local businesses in promoting themselves, we are offering a 15% discount on all new ads placed on our site. We offer banner ads, article sponsorships, and email and social media promotions to our audience of dedicated readers. To contact the advertising department, please click here.

4. New Obituary Section

It saddens us to have to add this section, but in light of the current situation, we will be creating an obituary section on our site, which will also be available free of charge. This will serve as a way for loved ones to be remembered after their passing. To submit an obituary, please email obit@midhudsonnews.com

5. Multiple points  of contact

We would like to remind readers of the multiple channels we are available on to keep you informed. In addition to our website, we offer a daily email digest, our Facebook and Twitter pages, and a daily news podcast.

ALBANY – The New York State Department of Labor has changed the way individuals file for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic as of March 27, 2020.  NYS is waiving the 7-Day waiting period for Unemployment Insurance benefits for people who are out of work due to COVID-19 closures or quarantines.

Individuals currently receiving benefits do not need to change the way they register for such and are encouraged not to call the unemployment office.  The State has indicated that unnecessary calls are placing an enormous strain on the system.

The New York State Department of Labor has issued new guidelines to reduce the amount of stress placed on the filing system. If you are filing a new Unemployment Insurance claim, the day you should apply is based on the first letter of your last name: If your last name starts with A – F, file your claim on Monday. For last names starting with G – N, file your claim on Tuesday. For last names starting with O – Z, file your claim on Wednesday. If you missed your filing day, file your claim on Thursday, Friday or Saturday. Filing later in the week will not delay your payments or affect the date of your claim.

Any claim you file will be backdated to the date you became unemployed. If you are eligible, you will be paid for all benefits due.

The telephone filing hours have been extended as follows and can be done at 1-888-209-8124:
Monday through Thursday, 8 am to 7:30 pm.
Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Saturday, 7:30 am to 8:00 pm.

If you are uncertain about your qualification for benefits, more information regarding the new federal act and other COVID-19 updates will be posted in the Frequently Asked Questions about Unemployment Insurance During the Coronavirus Emergency.

Individuals can file for benefits online at https://applications.labor.ny.gov/IndividualReg/.

NEWBURGH – A man who had threatened to jump off the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge late Saturday morning has been arrested by Newburgh City Police and charged with attempted murder.

City Police were called to the bridge by Newburgh Town Police to assist with the incident. Anthony Mahabir, 37, was arrested in connection with the stabbing of Lisa Colon that occurred on March 26 at 24 Dubois Street shortly after 12:30 a.m.

Mahabir had previously been arrested on March 24 and charged with assault stemming from a domestic violence incident against Colon. He had been held until March 25 where he was transported to Goshen Court for arraignment and released as a result of the state’s bail reform law.

He is now being charged with attempted murder, arson and criminal contempt and being held pending arraignment on Monday.

Anyone with additional information is asked to call Newburgh City Police at 845-561-3131.