Curran: Apex of COVID-19 cases could come next week in Nassau County

County Executive Laura Curran said during her daily briefing on Saturday that Nassau is in the “heat of battle” against COVID-19, which claimed 11 more residents.

She said that the death toll from the virus has reached 149, despite the state reporting that the toll is at 396. There are 13,346 total positive cases in the county. Curran says many of those cases "self-resolved."

“ My team at the Department of Health is working really hard to quantify that...and to make sure that everyone in that number did live in Nassau County," she said of the discrepancy in numbers.

Among the cases are 106 sworn and civilian members of the Nassau County Police Department. A total of 173 members are in quarantine.

The county executive also said that “our hospitals are stretched” for PPE, ventilators and staffing” and that “we need all the help we can get.” Curran is advocating for the temporary hospital at SUNY Old Westbury to be for "just COVID patients" in order to take pressure off of county hospitals.

More notes on the news conference are below:

There are 1,197 COVID-19 hospitalizations in Nassau (+374). 355 of those patients are on ventilators (+31).

171 COVID-19 were released from Nassau hospitals (+46). This week there were 788 COVID-19 patient releases.

For advice on face coverings, head to CDC site.

Curran: "We are really in a war. We are in the heat of battle right now."

Curran: "My educated guess is that we will hit the apex here in Nassau County in about a week."

There are 13,346 total positive cases in the county. She says many of those cases "self resolved."

Curran announces deaths of 11 more Nassau residents due to COVID-19. Death toll has reached 149.

Curran says the state is reporting that 396 total deaths. "My team at the Department of Health is working really hard to quantify that...and to make sure that everyone in that number did live in Nassau County."

Curran says there are 106 members of the Nassau County Police Department who have tested positive for COVID-19, sworn and civilian. A total of 173 are in quarantine.

Curran: "It is dire. It is urgent. And we need to get ventilators here as quickly as possible. Our hospitals are stretched in terms of ventilators, in terms of PPE, in terms of staffing, and we need all the help we can get."

Curran says the county order 100 ventilators. "So far we've received five."

Curran says she is advocating for the temporary hospital at SUNY Old Westbury be for "just COVID patients."