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Coronavirus: Rockland small businesses begin to restart; Friday's town-by-town numbers

Robert Brum
Rockland/Westchester Journal News

POMONA — It's no surprise that the pandemic has had a devastating effect on Rockland's small businesses.

Even those deemed essential and allowed to operate during the state-mandated shutdown have felt the pain.

CORONAVIRUS: Rockland tracks its path to reopening; Thursday's town by town numbers

"I think we were down at least 75 percent during the height of it," said Steve Valvo, owner of Valvo Electric, who said he was pretty much limited to responding to emergencies for a while. "It was very, very stressful," he said. "Business was phenomenal before this happened, and then down the tubes."

Valvo Electric is one of about 4,500 businesses in Rockland with nine or fewer employees. Nearly 80 percent of the county's estimated 9,450 businesses fall into that category, according to the state Department of Labor.

Valvo, whose Haverstraw service has a six-person staff, was among some 250 business owners and nonprofit representatives expected Friday at the county's Fire Training Center for a face mask giveaway meant to help ease the stress of going back to work — some for the first time since "NY on Pause" orders were issued in mid-March.

Steve Valvo, owner of Valvo Electric in Haverstraw, picked up face masks being distributed free by Rockland County on June 5, 2020.

Rockland County, along with the rest of the mid-Hudson Valley, is now in Phase 1 of reopening, which allows construction and wholesale suppliers to expand operations as well as curbside retail pickups.

Phase 2 is expected to begin June 9. Professional services — like real estate and insurance — will be able to resume in-person operations. Barbers and hair salons can open with safety measures in place. Retail stores can reopen with safety measures in place, but not stores in malls, which cannot reopen until Phase IV.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo also announced on Wednesday that outdoor dining — with adequate space and limits to ensure social distancing — can resume in Rockland during Phase 2.

For Valvo, Phase 1 meant contractors could go back to work, and things got busy in a hurry for his staff. "Thank God ... we're pretty much back to where we used to be," he said.

The likelihood of a stay-at-home summer for many families is actually working in his favor. "Now we're getting calls: 'We can't go on vacation so let's put a pool in.' " he said.

Friday's “ROCK GOV – FACE COV” program was coordinated by Rockland County Executive Ed Day, Director of Economic Development and Tourism Jeremy Schulman, Director of Purchasing Paul J. Brennan and Director of Fire and Emergency Services Chris Kear.

“We want to do everything possible to help our local businesses open safely and remain open," Day said in a press release announcing the program. "We understand that there is on-going demand for personal protective equipment and the ‘ROCK GOV – FACE COV’ Program will provide free face coverings to small businesses as they welcome back employees."

Eligible businesses had to have most operations in Rockland and employ up to 20 workers. Each business or non-profit was to receive 100 face masks, which were donated to the county.

Diane VanHalen of Allure Aesthetics, with her nice, Mahkayla Hargot, picked up free face masks at the Rockland County Fire Training Center June 5, 2020. The ÒROCK GOV Ð FACE COVÓ Program provides face masks to small businesses and nonprofits to help them restart their.operations.

Daily COVID-19 numbers

  • Rockland's COVID-19 related deaths rose by two, to 657, the state reported Friday.
  • Confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations continued to decrease, from 21 to 19. 
  • Total COVID-19 cases rose by 17 to 13,297 since the outbreak began.
  • Of the 57,301 tests administered in Rockland, 23.2% have come back positive.
  • Statewide, New York on Thursday reached the lowest number of deaths and hospitalizations during the pandemic, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Friday.
  • The daily statewide death toll was 42 people, down from a record-high of 800 deaths in one day just eight weeks ago. The number of total hospitalizations on Thursday was 2,728, down from a record-high of 18,825 during the pandemic's peak.

Rockland cases by ZIP Code

The following COVID-19 cases have been reported by the state:

  • 2,902 - Spring Valley  (10977)
  • 1,682 - Monsey  (10952)
  • 1,015 - New City  (10956)
  • 749 - Nanuet  (10954)
  • 669 - Suffern  (10901)
  • 660 - Haverstraw  (10927)
  • 393 - Garnerville  (10923)
  • 379 - Pomona  (10970)
  • 361 - Stony Point  (10980)
  • 347 - Nyack  (10960)
  • 329 - Pearl River  (10965)
  • 308 - West Haverstraw  (10993)
  • 298 - Valley Cottage  (10989)
  • 249 - Congers  (10920)
  • 168 - Orangeburg  (10962)
  • 161 - West Nyack  (10994)
  • 125 - Tappan  (10983)
  • 105 - Blauvelt  (10913)
  • 87 - Thiells  (10984)
  • 60 - Sparkill  (10976)
  • 57 - Sloatsburg  (10974)
  • 48 - Piermont  (10968)
  • 40 - Tomkins Cove  (10986)
  • 34 - Palisades  (10964)
  • 24 - Hillburn  (10931)

Robert Brum is a Rockland County-based reporter and editor. For subscriber-only Rockland County news, visit offers.lohud.com to sign up for a subscription. To subscribe to The Rockland Angle, a nightly email newsletter exclusively for Rockland County news, features and other essential information, visit lohud.com/newsletters, check the Rockland Angle” box and submit your email address.

Twitter: @Bee_bob