Rockland County Executive Ed Day on Thursday announced that 42 people have died of COVID-19 in Rockland since the outbreak began and demanded that the governor establish a containment zone for eastern Ramapo that he said were being hit particularly hard by the coronavirus.

"If we do not get a response, we will be going to the White House," Day said.

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While Gov. Andrew Cuomo had not responded to Rockland's call for a containment zone, the governor said during his morning briefing that he would be open to imposing a curfew in hard-hit areas depending on what he hears from local officials.

Day outlined a containment zone that included the greater Spring Valley and Monsey area: Bordered by Grandview Avenue, Route 45, College Road and the New York State Thruway.

So far, the largest number of state-reported cases in Rockland have occurred within two ZIP codes — 760 in Spring Valley (10977) and 722 in Monsey (10952) by Thursday — both in the town of Ramapo.

The densely populated area described in Day's proposed containment zone is predominantly Orthodox Jewish.

Yossi Gestetner, a founder of the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council, said that the community has concentrated on getting tested.

“Statistically, the more tests, the more cases,” Gestetner said. “New York has more testing than other states and more cases. The United States has more testing than other countries and more cases.”

Legislator Itamar Yeger, D-New Hempstead, said Day’s containment zone seems to target the Jewish community. He also questioned the county executive's complaint that Cuomo doesn’t give him a heads up on state policies effecting Rockland. Yeger said Day did the same thing to the Rockland County Legislature on Thursday.

“Ed Day is a hypocrite,” Yeger said. “We had a conference call a half-hour before his Facebook (announcement). He told us nothing about a containment zone. I would recommend Ed Day practice what he preaches and show us the same courtesy he expects from the governor.”

'Flexible' zone

As he called for a containment zone in Rockland, Day said it should be similar to what was established last month in a 1-mile radius in New Rochelle.

But, the Republican county executive added, the governor could "tweak it this time." He specified that authorities should be able to "make sure people are socially distanced."

Cuomo, a Democrat, set up New Rochelle's containment zone last month after cases there climbed in the wake of an exposure at a large bar mitzvah party.

The New Rochelle containment zone was established before the state's current "stay at home" guidance. The city's zone has ended. While Cuomo called in the National Guard, its role in New Rochelle was largely supportive — Guard members cleaned areas and distributed food to those who needed it.

Rockland County spokesman John Lyon said the boundaries for a Rockland containment zone could be flexible, depending on state input. "We are relying on the expertise of New York state to determine how best to accomplish this task," Lyon said. "The Governor’s Office has already done this once, to great effect in New Rochelle, and we are now asking that they do something to protect Rockland residents.

Day also said Rockland needed enforcement of social distancing rules, not "helpful hints." He added, "This is not a cooking show."

Day singled out funerals as a place where social distancing needed enforcement and attendees needed to be "educated." Day had criticized the town of Ramapo, the state and others for what he said were unsafe conditions among the crowd who attended a funeral earlier this week for Josef Neumann, the victim of a Hanukkah machete attack in Monsey. He said he spoke to Rabbi Chaim Rottenberg, whose home was the site of the Dec. 28 attack.

"We don't want a death to result from a funeral," Day said.

Gestetner of OJPAC said Day's categorizations were incorrect. “We have elected officials and social media people scapegoating the entire Orthodox community,” Gestetner said. “They take violations from a few people and spread it over the entire community.”

Day also pointed to stores, which he said needed to control access "like ramp metering on a highway. Stores can't take in everybody at one time."

Day pointed to his health department's work during last year's measles outbreak, which had tallied 312 cases in Rockland before it was quashed. "We had a local understanding of what was happening here."

Calling for direct action in Rockland from the state, Day said, "We don't need a task force in Albany. We need an ability to do what we have to do here."

Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht did not comment directly on Day's call for a containment zone in his town. "The Town will continue to adhere to all relevant guidelines set forth by New York State and the federal government relative to COVID-19," Specht, a Democrat, said.

Yeger said a containment zone, with National Guard troops and military-style vehicles, could alarm many people in the Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox communities. “One has to understand how sensitive the community can be,” he said. “You are going to hear the word ghettos."

Yeger also said a containment zone in response to a few violations of social distancing — without singling out secular residents — seems like overkill. "There’s been a fair amount of funerals," Yeger said. "The fact two of them have violated social distancing rules doesn’t mean all residents should live in a prison.”

Lyon said Day would defer to the governor on how a containment area would work.

Hospital sought

Day also repeated his call for a temporary hospital in Rockland to help cope with the mounting cases.

SUNY Rockland Community College President Michael Baston told The Journal News/lohud last week that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had contacted the college to inquire about using RCC's Fieldhouse as a potential medical facility.

The jump in coronavirus deaths to 42 on Thursday was up from 29 on Wednesday. On Monday, the COVID-19 death toll was 18. Westchester announced on Thursday that the county coronavirus death toll was at 67, with 11,567 positive cases of the virus. Rockland's total population was 328,868, according to 2017 figures; Westchester's was 980,244.

Staff writer Steve Lieberman contributed to this report.

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