The coronavirus impact on the Lower Hudson Valley continues to intensify as more places close and more people become infected.

Here are the latest local updates as the virus spreads throughout the region.

Rental vehicles for health staff

Hertz announced on March 25 that it would immediately start providing free vehicle rentals to New York City health care workers through April 30. Health care workers can reserve a vehicle at 19 New York City-area Hertz locations so they can continue working.

Hertz said the decline in travel means the company has more vehicles available, including cars for workers to travel and cargo vans to transport ventilators and other medical supplies.

Hertz said it is helping power Team Rubicon's veteran-led support in the area, including New Rochelle, by donating vehicles to serve at-risk populations in need of essential health care. The company is also supporting Team Rubicon's efforts with Feeding Westchester by giving the group's volunteers vehicles to transport food supplies from food banks in New Rochelle to mobile pantries to help ensure those in need receive proper nourishment.

Peekskill

A parish employee at Church of the Assumption in Peekskill tested positive for the coronavirus and is undergoing treatment, the parish said on March 24. The parish's two priests, Rev. Esteban Sanchez and Rev. Carlos Limongi, have quarantined themselves while they wait to be tested.

Anyone who may have had contact with either priest recently is urged to self-isolate until it is determined whether the priests test positive for the virus. The parish property, including the church building and rectory, will undergo a deep cleaning.

Pleasantville

Mary Fox-Alter, superintendent of the Pleasantville school district, said on Monday, March 23, that a staff member at Pleasantville Middle School tested positive for COVID-19. That staff member was asymptomatic while present in school and reported developing symptoms around March 19, she said in a message to the community.

The last day of potential exposure was March 13, Fox-Alter said.

"It is possible that any of our students or staff at the middle school may have been exposed and should look at that date as the most recent exposure," she said.

Anyone who may have been exposed should self-quarantine for 14 days starting from March 13, Fox-Alter said.

Train schedules

Metro-North Railroad said on Monday, March 23, that NJ Transit is operating on a reduced weekday schedule on the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley lines. That schedule will be similar to a President's Day schedule, with some enhancements.

On the Pascack Valley Line, the first inbound express train in the morning and second outbound express train in the evening will provide local service, with changes to all arrival and departure times.

On the Port Jervis Line, the 4:05 train departing Port Jervis is canceled with minor changes to arrival and departure times.

For schedule details, visit njtransit.com.

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New Rochelle cases

A member of the New Rochelle Police Department and a member of the New Rochelle Fire Department tested positive for COVID-19, city spokeswoman Kathy Gilwit said on March 19.

"Both departments are handling the situation with the guidance of the County Health Department," she said.

The ShopRite supermarket in the city confirmed an associate tested positive for coronavirus. The associate is no longer at the store and coworkers who were in close contact with him or her for an extended period of time were told by store leadership to self-quarantine for 14 days. In additions to following CDC guidelines, ShopRite said it has implemented an enhanced sanitation process used by the associate and common areas.

"The containment of the Coronavirus is a shared responsibility," ShopRite said in a Facebook post. "We are proud of the amazing dedication our associates are demonstrating and we thank them for their service to our customers."

Lawrence Hospital

Westchester County and NYP Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville erected a tent outside of the emergency department next to the hospital. This temporary tent will allow the hospital to expand its emeregency department to ensure proper distance and distribution of patients.

Latest: numbers of cases

MAP: Coronavirus cases by New York county

CHART: Coronavirus cases in New York

Nurses needed

It's a call to arms.

Westchester County Executive George Latimer asks all available New York State Licensed nurses and certified physicians — including retired or currently those who aren't working — to step forward during this pandemic.

“The reality is we don’t have enough nurses to meet our current demand – and that demand will only grow. We need you now more than ever – your expertise, your education, your experience- you,” Latimer said in a statement.

Nurses will be utilized to help in nursing homes, child care programs, congregate care facilities, senior buildings and other sites that serve vulnerable populations.

The Westchester County Department of Social Services will coordinate the placements in partnership with the Department of Health. Those interested in serving the community in this capacity should contact Lindsay Jackson at lajc@westchestergov.com.

Additionally, the State is asking all recently retired health professionals (including doctors) to volunteer to act as reserve staff. These professionals are asked to complete this survey.

“If the surge of coronavirus cases reaches predicted levels as we saw in Italy, we need more testing, more beds, more ventilators, and more nurses and doctors," Latimer said. "If you can contribute to the cause complete the survey above. We need you for what may be coming – and we thank you in advance for your service during this unprecedented time.”

Mount Vernon nursing home

Three residents of the Westchester Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing in Mount Vernon tested positive for COVID-19, the facility said in a statement on March 16.

Those three residents are being treated in a hospital, and it is not clear how they came into contact with the virus, the facility said. Westchester Center said it notified the local health department, state Health Department, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Staff members who came into direct contact with those three residents are self-quarantining and following health department guidelines. Residents of the facility are being monitored for any signs and symptoms of the virus.

Metro-North

Starting on Tuesday, March 17, Metro-North Railroad is no longer accepting cash fare payments at its ticket counters or on trains. Credit cards are still accepted.

In another measure to reduce hand-to-hand transmission, Metro-North's lost and found office in Grand Central Terminal is closed until further notice as of March 17. If you have left an item on the train or in a station, you can file your initial claim at mta.info.

Yonkers

Yonkers police are asking city residents who are self-quarantined due to COVID-19 to report that information to police by calling 914-377-7900. It is a voluntary request that the city is making "in a continuing effort to ensure the safety of our community members, police officers, and first responders," police said in a statement on March 16.

The information will be used to create an alert in the city's computer-aided dispatch system to notify first responders of the need for special resources in case of a response to a self-quarantined resident's location. Residents' information will not be shared with any outside organizations or saved in a database once the alert expires, police said.

Small business loans

The U.S. Small Business Administration is offering federal disaster loans for working capital to small businesses in Westchester, Putnam, and Dutchess counties that are "suffering substantial economic injury as a result of the coronavirus," the SBA said in a statement on March 16.

The SBA is acting under the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act that was signed by President Donald Trump. It is also helping small businesses in Connecticut and parts of Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Small businesses, private nonprofit organizations of any size, small agricultural cooperatives, and small aquaculture enterprises that have been financially affected by coronavirus since Jan. 31 may qualify for Economic Injury Disaster Loans of up to $2 million to help meet financial obligations and operating expenses, the SBA said.

The interest rate is 3.75% for small businesses and 2.75% for private nonprofit organizations. The deadline to apply is Dec. 16, 2020.

More information is available by visiting disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, emailing disastercustomerservice@sba.gov, or calling 800-659-2955.

Updated: Westchester library closings

The following libraries in the Westchester County system are closing:

Ardsley, (until further notice); Bedford, (March 14 until further notice); Bedford Hills Free Library (March 16-31) Briarcliff Manor, (March 16 until further notice); Bronxville (March 16 until further notice); Chappaqua, (March 14-29); Croton (March 15-31); Dobbs Ferry, (March 13 until further notice); Eastchester, (March 15 until further notice); Greenburgh, (March 13-30); Harrison and West Harrison, (March 16-29); Hastings-on-Hudson, (March 14-31); Irvington (March 14 until further notice); Katonah, (March 16 until further notice); Larchmont, (March 14 until further notice); (South Salem) Lewisboro, (March 16-29); Mamaroneck. (March 16-30); (Montrose) Hendrick Hudson Free Library (March 18-23); Mount Kisco Public Library (March 16-31); Mount Pleasant and Valhalla (March 14-31); Mount Vernon Public Library (March 16 until further notice); New Rochelle, (March 13-25); Huguenot, (March 11-25); North Castle and North White Plains, (March 14-31); (North Salem) Ruth Keeler, (March 16-29); Ossining, (March 15 until further notice); (Peekskill) Field Library, (March 13-31); Pelham, (March 14-31); Port Chester-Rye Brook, (March 14 until further notice); Pound Ridge Library (March 17-31); Purchase, (March 14-27); Rye Free Reading Room, (March 16-29); Scarsdale, (March 14-April 17); Somers Library (March 16 until further notice); Tarrytown Warner, (March 15-31); Tuckahoe Public Library (March 16-28); White Plains (March 15 until further notice); Yonkers, all branches (March 15-31); Yorktown John C. Hart (March 16-31).

All Masses canceled

All Masses in the Archdiocese of New York are canceled until further notice.

The archdiocese said the cancellation provides clarity and consistency for the 10 counties that are part of the Archdiocese of New York: Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Putnam, Orange, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster, and Dutchess.

Churches will remain open for private prayer, the statement said.

“Let us pray for all who are sick, as well as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and all those working hard to combat the disease," Cardinal Timothy Dolan, archbishop of New York, said. "We should also remember those whose lives have been otherwise disrupted, especially anyone who has lost income from a loss of work during this difficult time.”

Private Masses will be held in St. Patrick’s Cathedral and be available on many cable systems via the Catholic Faith Network and www.catholicfaithnetwork.org. They will also be livestreamed on the Saint Patrick’s Cathedral website at www.saintpatrickscathedral.org/live, and broadcast on the Catholic Channel of Sirius XM (Channel 129).

Nursing home case

A 90-year-old woman who lives at the Bethel Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Cortlandt tested positive for COVID-19, said Beth Goldstein, CEO of Bethel Homes.

The woman was taken to Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt, Goldstein said. She would not say what condition the woman was in.

Representatives of NewYork-Presbyterian, which runs the hospital, did not respond to questions about the situation.

Bethel Homes has five properties in Cortlandt and Ossining.

"We continue to monitor all our current residents and staff very closely," Goldstein said. "We did implement, proactively, a suspension of outside visitation on Monday, March 9, and the screening of all staff even prior to the mandate of doing so, and we've been sanitizing our facilities and continue to do so."

Catholic schools

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York announced that all Catholic elementary schools in its system will close and plan to reopen April 20.

Principals and teachers are preparing educational materials for home-based learning, a statement said.

In addition, all Catholic high school sporting events and practices are canceled indefinitely, the statement said.

"We truly understand that taking this action may cause some disruption to our families, but we strongly believe that these measures taken now will have the greatest success of decreasing risk to the whole community," the statement from the archdiocese said.

Further information is available at www.CatholicSchoolsNY.org.

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Officials have ended most in-person classes at SUNY and CUNY schools, raising questions about what will happen with the remainder of the spring semester.

WESTCHESTER

Clerk's Office

The county Clerk's Office will reduce staffing by 50 percent and cut back hours to reduce the foot traffic in the office.

Clerk Timothy Idoni announced the changes, which will start Tuesday, vowing to provide “almost all the regular services with few exceptions.” The office will be open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. instead of the typical 8 a.m. to 5 p.m..

Idoni asked the public to limit submissions to the office to essential and time sensitive business in the short term and most legal documents be e-filed, e-recorded, or submitted by mail.

Issuance of passports and personal identification cards have been suspended becayse they must be done in-person and naturizaltion services have been postponed until at least mid-May, Idoni said.

Pistol licenses will continue to be processed, the approval for some licenses might be delayed because some courts are closed in Westchester, Idoni said.

DA's Office

With the exception of court appearances, the county District Attorney's Office is holding all interaction with outside agencies, such as meetings and training sessions, via phone or internet. Interviews with witnesses and victims should occur by phone when possible. All travel on behalf of the office is canceled.

The DA's Office is investigating reports of threatening and hateful emails sent to at least one person who has contracted the virus. The messages included language that could be considered anti-Semitic, officials said.

Testing at Glen Island

Glen Island Park, a county property on New Rochelle's Long Island Sound Shore, has been closed and turned into a testing site for COVID-19.

New Rochelle

The National Guard arrived in the containment area to help distribute food to residents.

Memorial Sloan Kettering

The local outbreak is now affecting Memorial Sloan Kettering's facility in West Harrison, where a staff member tested positive for COVID-19.

Sloan Kettering's executive vice president and hospital administrator, Ned Groves, said in a statement that the employee is not believed to have had any contact with patients. That employee did have contact with some co-workers, and some staff members have been asked to stay home from the office at 500 Westchester Ave.

Sloan Kettering Westchester is open and operating normally, with no disruption to patient care, Groves said. Patients who have cold or flu-like symptoms are asked to call the office before arriving for any appointments.

Sloan Kettering has changed its visitor policy, though, by allowing one visitor per patient and one person arriving with a patient. That policy does not apply to parents or caregivers of pediatric patients.

Visitors will also be screened at all entrances and asked to leave if they show cold or flu-like symptoms.

ROCKLAND

Montefiore Nyack Hospital is not allowing visitors. Exceptions include the mother baby and NICU Unit, labor and delivery and the pediatric unit. End of life visitations will be addressed on an individual basis.

"As we continue to address concerns about COVID-19, we are taking the most appropriate precautions and following best practices being implemented by the Montefiore Health System, for the health and safety of our patients, visitors, staff and entire community. We appreciate your understanding as we work together with our community to keep our most vulnerable members safe during this public health situation," Chief Medical Officer and Vice President Anthony Matejicka said.

County Clerk Paul Piperato is strongly urging people to work from home and take care of business and other transactions via the internet or mail when possible. The county clerk's office will be open for its regular hours Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., for urgent matters that cannot be handled via the internet, mail or telephone.

The Rockland County Sheriff's Office said the following have been suspended until April 8: issuance of pistol permits by the Clerk's Office, fingerprinting appointments at the Sheriff's Office, and pistol safety classes given by the county.

Putnam

No visitors are allowed in Nuvance Health hospitals until further notice. Putnam Hospital Center, located in Carmel, is part of the Nuvance Health network. Exceptions apply.

County Executive MaryEllen Odell said all county senior centers and adult day service sites would be closed starting Monday through March 27. The county made the move out of an abundance of caution due to the growing coronavirus threat. The county will deliver food to any senior who needs one. Seniors who have questions can call the Office of Senior Resources at (845)-808-1700.

Staff writers Gary Stern, Jonathan Bandler and David Propper, as well as the Associated Press, contributed to this report.

Matt Spillane covers breaking news throughout the Lower Hudson Valley. Click here for his latest stories. Follow him on Twitter @MattSpillane. Check out our latest subscription offers here.