Lana Bellamy

lBellamy@th-record.com

CITY OF NEWBURGH – The number of confirmed novel coronavirus cases has climbed to 488 in the City of Newburgh, according to Orange County government data on Tuesday.

It is now the municipality with the highest number of confirmed cases in the county, followed closely by the City of Middletown with 480.

The numbers are not surprising, given that dense, urban centers are naturally more susceptible to widespread illness and tend to have larger economically-disadvantaged populations than rural areas.

Newburgh city government began preparing its workforce for virus in late-February, said Bill Horton, the city's fire chief and deputy emergency manager.

Had they not taken these early steps, Horton said, the city could have ended up with more cases than it currently has.

About half of City of Newburgh residents are Hispanic, 30 percent are black and 20 percent are white, according to recent census data. Nearly 30 percent of residents live in poverty, which brings about issues with accessing information, preventive healthcare, personal protective medical equipment and nutrition.

“All those things have created this unfortunate perfect storm,” Horton said when referring to possible reasons for Newburgh's high number of COVID-19 cases.

The city has about 290 employees; about half are essential workers, said City Manager Joe Donat.

Of those employees, only a handful are currently out sick or on paid leave tending to a family member or loved one.

The city instituted liberal sick leave policies that allow employees to continue receiving paychecks and save paid-sick time if they must stay home because of the coronavirus.

The Water Department, Department of Public Works, police and fire departments are keeping their respective 24-hour shifts fully staffed, Donat said.

City police have incorporated social-distancing enforcement into daily patrols, Donat said.

“For the most part, the community has adhered to the rules and the guidance,” Donat said. “There are, unfortunately, certain areas throughout the city where compliance continues to be an issue.”

Donat said police have been instructed to hand out warnings and informational fliers in hotspots for gatherings.

The city's emergency management team made up of essential department heads meets every day at 10 a.m. to review the latest coronavirus trends and daily operational issues.

They split off into smaller teams to manage legal compliance, supplies, code enforcement and emergency incidents involving police and fire departments.

“We're constantly preparing the city to be ready for any disruption of outside and inside services,” Horton said.

lbellamy@th-record.com