This Morning’s Bulletin — 3.18.20

Good Morning!

• Today will be sunny, with a high near 50 degrees and wind chill values between 25 and 35, with a northwest wind 5 to 8 miles per hour, becoming west in the afternoon. We’re expecting rain overnight, mainly after 2 a.m., with a low around 41. We’re expecting rain on Thursday, mainly before 2 p.m., with a steady temperature around 46. There’s a 40 percent chance of showers before noon Friday, with mostly cloudy skies and a high near 61.

The latest on the coronavirus crisis:

• The New York State Department of Health is now allowing people to make appointments at their Suffolk mobile testing site. The testing site is still being determined but is expected to come online later this week. Suffolk County residents who want to make an appointment for the test can call now and they will be triaged by a nurse. Residents can make appointments by calling 1.888.364.3065. Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming said the testing criteria at the mobile testing site will initially be the same as it is at other testing sites, in a conference call late Tuesday with reporters.
Update 9:30 a.m.: Governor Andrew Cuomo reports the testing center will be in the south commuter parking lot at Stony Brook University.
Update 1 p.m.: The mobile testing site was operational as of noon Wednesday.

• Suffolk residents can now text COVIDSUFFOLK to 67283 to receive information on the latest developments and health guidance.

• There were 28 cases of coronavirus in confirmed by the health department in Southold Town, said Town Supervisor Scott Russell Tuesday afternoon. Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone also announced Tuesday afternoon two cases have been reported within Southampton Town boundaries, and East Hampton and Riverhead each had two cases. There are a total of 94 cases in Suffolk, along with one more death: a woman in her 90s in Huntington.

•The Greenport branch of Bridgehampton National Bank is operating with just the drive-through window open to the public, and the Mattituck branch of Capital One Bank is temporarily closed. Capital One said in an email to customers that it is taking the measure because there are no windows separating tellers from customers at some branches. Capital One customers are being directed to use the Riverhead drive-up in the TJ Maxx parking lot on Route 58.

• New York Governor Andrew Cuomo laid out the state’s plan to address testing, social distancing and increasing hospital capacity in a Tuesday morning press conference.

• Southampton Arts Center Artistic Director Amy Kirwin, always in for social and artistic experimentation, has launched a virtual exhibition for folks stuck at home. Paint, draw, take photographs — whatever inspires and excites you,” she said on Instagram (@southamptonartscenter). “Then email a photo to info@southamptoncenter.org with your name, Instagram handle and the name of your work, or post on social, tag us, and use #SACArtShare. We will feature them on Instagram and Facebook as they come in. So get to work!”

• Public health experts are recommending time out in nature to combat cabin fever during this pandemic. We provided some information on open trails yesterday, and today have learned the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Trail at EPCAL in Calverton is open, though all town programming on the path is closed. Cyclists, walkers and runners are using the trail. “I recommend lots of sunshine and vitamin D!” said Bob Beattie of Long Island Running. “Hike, run, bike the path every day if you can!”

The high tides on the East End for the next two days are as follows:

March 18
Plum Gut Harbor: 6:25 a.m., 6:59 p.m.
Montauk Harbor: 5:33 a.m., 6:07 p.m.
Greenport: 7:02 a.m., 7:36 p.m.
Mattituck Inlet: 7:42 a.m., 8:20 p.m.
Sag Harbor: 6:57 a.m., 7:31 p.m.
New Suffolk: 8:24 a.m., 8:58 p.m.
South Jamesport: 8:31 a.m., 9:05 p.m.
Shinn. Bay Entrance: 5:12 a.m., 5:48 p.m.
Shinn. Inlet: 3:21 a.m., 3:57 p.m.

March 19
Plum Gut Harbor: 7:25 a.m., 7:51 p.m.
Montauk Harbor: 6:33 a.m., 6:59 p.m.
Greenport: 8:02 a.m., 8:28 p.m.
Mattituck Inlet: 8:44 a.m., 9:17 p.m.
Sag Harbor: 7:57 a.m., 8:23 p.m.
New Suffolk: 9:24 a.m., 9:50 p.m.
South Jamesport: 9:31 a.m., 9:57 p.m.
Shinn. Bay Entrance: 6:15 a.m., 6:50 p.m.
Shinn. Inlet: 4:24 a.m., 4:59 p.m.

And that’s the way things look at dawn’s light here today.