Suffolk Coronavirus: 28 More Deaths, 210K Pieces Of PPE Delivered

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Thousands of pieces of personal protective equipment are making their way to Suffolk County first responders as the number of new coronavirus cases continued to slow Sunday.

At his daily briefing Sunday afternoon, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone said 32,822 people had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease in the county, a single-day increase of 637. Twenty-eight more people died, bringing the number of deaths to 1,070.

"To those families who are suffering this loss we are with you," he said. "You are in our thoughts and prayers."

But the number of hospitalizations — which he called the "really important number" — continued to show a downward trend. Hospitalizations fell by 41 from Saturday to 1,134.

"Still a very big number, but much lower than where we were at the peak a couple weeks ago," Bellone said in his livestreamed briefing.

The number of patients receiving intensive care treatment, meanwhile, fell by 10 to 778. Over 900 hospital beds are available along with 215 ICU beds, he said.

On Saturday, about 210,000 pieces of personal protective equipment were delivered to first responders on the front line of the pandemic, Bellone said. Furthermore, federal emergency management officials sent the county about 7,100 gloves, over 800 face shields and 5,000 surgical masks to the county's Department of Fire, Rescue and Emergency Services, as well as hundreds of protective suits, hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes and ice packs.

Bellone also recommended residents in need apply for the United Way of Long Island's UNITED TOGETHER: A Response Fund For COVID-19. The organization works to "fill the gaps" and support people who are most in need of financial assistance during the crisis and may habe lost their jobs or been furloughed.