Shelter Island COVID report: In person town meetings resume

The emergency declaration by Supervisor Gerry Siller to hold in-person meetings at Town Hall was lifted Nov. 4, allowing the public to choose between attending sessions in person or using Zoom access.

Members of boards and committees are now required to attend meetings in person unless they meet state requirements such as illness or care-giving responsibilities. Vacationing or doing business out of town is not a reason for a member to participate in a meeting virtually, and a quorum must be present for business to be conducted.

After it was revealed that a member of the Town Board had tested positive for COVID in the wake of a public hearing in late October, in-person meetings were suspended. Subsequently, two more members of the Town Board tested positive and it was revealed that some Town Hall workers had also become infected.

Despite the emergency shutdown of in-person Town meetings, Shelter Island School officials made no changes to their more relaxed policy. Since classes resumed in September, there has been no mask mandate and no need for virtual classes.

Parents have always been advised to keep students at home if they are ill. Despite the recent flare-up at Town Hall, there have only been a few cases of COVID among the school community since September, said Superintendent Brain Doelger, Ed.D.

At the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 there was a brief period when classes were virtual. With the installation of an improved ventilation system, added sinks to for frequent hand washing, a mask mandate and social distancing, Shelter Island has been one of the few school districts able to operate in-person classes with little interruption.

Since the September cyber attack on Suffolk County government websites, the breakdown of COVID rates by municipalities is currently unavailable.

But statistics on County cases posted to the New York State Department of Health as of Sunday, show 325 cases reported. They further list 129 hospitalizations and two deaths. A check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention carried the same County statistics.