Oceanside, Island Park communities take measures against COVID-19 spread

Though there were no reported coronavirus cases in Oceanside or Island Park as the Herald went to press, the communities are on high alert to help prevent its spread.

Nassau County schools were closed for two weeks as of Monday, by order of Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. As a result, both the Oceanside and Island Park school districts are working to provide students with at-home learning resources.

In addition, Gov. Andrew Cuomo banned all gatherings of 50 or more people, leaving community gathering places, including libraries, places of worship and restaurants, to adjust how they operate or close. The Village of Island Park trustee elections originally scheduled for March 18 have been  moved to April 28, according to an executive order signed by Cuomo

At press time on Monday, Nassau County had 101 confirmed coronavirus cases, and New York had more than 900. Last week, Curran urged all residents to “take extra care and try to avoid all social gatherings, family events and crowded public places.” The county characterized the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, as a threat to public health and declared a state of emergency, an action taken “to access greater re-sources,” Curran tweeted last week.

In the schools

The Oceanside School District launched an at-home learning website for all students, from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, to find online assignment packets. The website also includes information on the district’s #BookLove and OSD Be Well initiatives so students can keep up with reading and phys. ed.

The district sent home information packets with students on Friday, and urged all families to check their emails and the school website for updates. The district has also set up an online information page on the coronavirus.

“I wish you and your families the very best,” Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Harrington wrote in a letter to parents Sunday, “and I am confident we will get through this trying time together.”

Before the countywide school closures, the Oceanside district had canceled all field trips through March 31, including the Special Education Department’s off-site vocational training programs, “in an effort to limit exposure outside of our school campuses,” Harrington said.

The district also canceled its Parent University event and student participation in the History Bee regional competition, both of which were scheduled for March 14.

The Island Park Board of Education also issued a statement to the community about the school closings. It said school officials have a plan to continue providing meals to students who rely on school breakfast and lunch, and the district “will be announcing that plan once all the details are finalized and implemented.”

Additionally, teachers and administrators are preparing lessons and assignments for students to complete at home and will coordinate with parents when they are ready.

“We hope that this precaution is effective in preventing the spread of the virus,” the statement said, “and that our children can quickly return to their classes healthy and without fear of contamination.”

Last week, Island Park Public Schools conducted parent-teacher conferences by phone rather than in person. School officials also canceled an elementary school field trip to the Long Island Children’s Museum in Garden City. “There are many hands-on exhibits there, and we do not see the need to expose children to public areas at this time, when the opportunity to visit at a later date is possible,” Superintendent Dr. Rosmarie Bovino said.

Libraries

Oceanside Library officials announced on Friday that the facility would close until further notice, at the recommendation of the Nassau Library System, and that they would continue to monitor the situation before re-opening.

“We apologize for the inconvenience,” library officials wrote in a statement. “We hope everyone stays safe and well, and we look forward to reopening and providing Oceanside with excellent library services as soon as possible.”

In a letter to the community before the closing, Oceanside Library Director Christina Marra reminded patrons that its online resources, such as e-books, online magazines and audio books, are all available to download “from the comfort of your home.”

Island Park Library also closed, and planned to re-open on April 1 with the schools, Director Jessica Koenig said.

“Please note that the book and media drop-off slots will be closed and late fees will be waived until further notice,” she said. “Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.”

Places of worship

Throughout religious communities, typical rituals have been forgone or adjusted to limit person-to-person contact. In addition, places of worship have encouraged parishioners to stay home and not attend services if they are feeling ill.

As of March 13, services at South Shore Jewish Center were moved from the temple to the ballroom, a much larger space, “so that we can practice social distancing,” the congregation wrote in an email. Messages to the facility on Monday were not answered at press time.

Chabad of Oceanside canceled its Shabbat services and Hebrew school classes “until further notice,” although it is offering online Hebrew and Torah classes, Rabbi Levi Gurkov wrote to congregants. “Chabad is always open to serve individuals in need of spiritual, emotional, moral or material support,” he said. “We are here to help you or anyone in need. Please reach out if we can be of help.”

The Friedberg JCC in Oceanside announced that all “nonessential programming” from March 16 on would be postponed until April 20, including fitness classes, sporting events and senior programming.

At the recommendation of Metropolitan New York Synod Bishop Paul Egensteiner, Oceanside Lutheran Church moved its services to an online format at least through March 31, the Rev. Alex Raabe said. “The average age of our congregation is above that 60-year-old mark where people are more vulnerable,” he said, “so we did this out of concerns for people’s health.”

Raabe will preach through Facebook Live each Sunday, and he was looking for other ways to keep the community connected.

“This is uncharted waters for the faith community because everything we do is in person,” he said. “We still have to be a community, and I think we should start calling it ‘physical distancing,’ not ‘social distancing.’ Language matters. We’re still social beings.”

Temple Avodah postponed many events, and at press time was working on a system to livestream its Shabbat services. The temple will not have congregants at the facility for Shabbat until further notice.

Businesses

Cuomo’s executive order on Monday banned gatherings of 50 or more people and shut down all dine-in business at restaurants. In response, many businesses are advertising their take-out services.

Tim O’Hagan, owner of EGP Ocean-side and EGP Land & Sea, in Island Park, released a statement to customers reminding them that the restaurants offer take-out by calling in or using its delivery partners, Uber Eats and Doordash, apps that are available on smartphones.

Before the measure, the restaurants had not seen any less patronage as of Friday, O’Hagan said. Staff members are practicing their usual cleanliness procedures, he noted, wearing gloves and sanitizing all surfaces, for the safety of customers.

“We’re on alert, watching this like the entire country,” O’Hagan said. “We just have to be smart and take preventive measures.”

South Shore Craft Brewery, in Oceanside, also released a statement to the community on Friday, before the ban, to inform residents about its efforts to ensure the health of its patrons, noting that the bar’s hygiene standards “are and always will be a top priority.”

“We are following the guidance of the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and closely monitoring all employees and vendors making sure everyone understands the importance of staying home if they feel ill,” the statement read. “We also implore if any guests feel under the weather to reschedule plans and help us ensure the safety of others.”