Hempstead Town Supervisor Don Clavin and Adhi Sharma, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Mount Sinai South Nassau, teamed at Hewlett Point Park in Bay Park to announce a partnership aimed to boost availability of hand sanitizers at town beaches, pools and golf courses for the busy summer season. Clavin and Dr. Sharma were joined by Councilman Anthony D’Esposito to unveil the new hand sanitizer stations.
Mount Sinai South Nassau, located in Oceanside, is providing 40 hand sanitizer dispensers to be used at 28 locations, including the beaches, pools and golf courses within the Town of Hempstead. Mount Sinai South Nassau is also providing 20 cases of sanitizer to start for refills. The Town of Hempstead’s Department of Parks and Recreation staff will be at the ready to replace and refill the sanitizer stations throughout the summer.
“Maintaining clean hands is one of the key steps to avoiding COVID-19 and staying healthy,” Clavin said. “When traditional hand washing options are not available, especially when you are out and about, hand sanitizer is the best option to keep your hands clean and germ-free. Thank you to Mount Sinai South Nassau for their leadership in providing us with hand sanitizer stations as we work to help our residents enjoy our beaches, pools and golf courses in a safe manner during this pandemic.”
“Even when you are outside, enjoying the best of what the Town offers in the summer months, it is of utmost importance to keep your hands clean,” said Dr. Sharma. “We are pleased to partner with the Town of Hempstead and support their constant efforts to keep residents safe and to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as well as other dangerous and contagious viruses and infections.”
Clavin and Dr. Sharma also reinforced important tips for clean hands and hygiene during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing.
- When soap and water are not readily available, people are advised to utilize hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol.
- Once the hand sanitizer is applied, cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them together until they feel dry.
The Town of Hempstead/Mount Sinai South Nassau hand sanitizer stations will be located at Hewlett Point Park, Town Park Point Lookout, Lido Beach, Lido Beach West Town Park, the Merrick Golf Course, Lido Golf Course and at Town of Hempstead pools.
“The dedicated front-line heroes at Mount Sinai South Nassau have been there for us from the beginning of the pandemic and continue to be there to protect the health and safety of our residents,” Councilman D’Esposito said. “Keeping your hands clean is so critical to staying healthy and I thank Mount Sinai South Nassau for helping provide hand sanitizer to people who are ‘on the go.’”
Following the guidance issued by state and local health authorities, the Town of Hempstead opened beaches in time for Memorial Day holiday weekend, and most of the township’s 22 pools in time for 4th of July holiday weekend. Under the leadership of Supervisor Clavin and the Town Board, the Town of Hempstead established the first-of-its-kind Coronavirus Concierge Assistants, which are staff members dedicated to assisting residents at beaches and pools with COVID-19 safety regulations, social distancing guidelines. The staff members also have masks available by request.
Located in Oceanside, Mount Sinai South Nassau, the Long Island flagship hospital of the Mount Sinai Health System, is one of the region’s largest hospitals. The hospital is an acute-care, not-for-profit teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art care in cardiac, oncologic, orthopedic, bariatric, pain management, mental health and emergency services and operates the only Trauma Center on the South Shore of Nassau County, along with Long Island’s only free-standing Emergency Department in Long Beach.
The hand sanitizer program is one of several initiatives between the Town of Hempstead and Mount Sinai South Nassau. In June 2017, the Town and the hospital initiated a partnership to provide complimentary sunscreen at all Town beaches, pools and golf courses. In May, Mount Sinai South Nassau participated in a Facebook Live session hosted by the Town of Hempstead, “Coping During COVID,” a Q&A focused on mental health during the pandemic. Through federal funds, the Town of Hempstead also made a $1 million contribution to Mount Sinai South Nassau as part of a grant program to assist local hospitals that responded to the COVID-19 patient surge. The grant monies have been utilized for various needs, including the purchase of ventilators and dialysis machines that were required during the early stages of the pandemic.
“The Town of Hempstead is proud to continue a longstanding partnership with Mount Sinai South Nassau, which has provided medical care to our residents for decades,” Clavin said. “From the start of the pandemic, through the COVID-19 patient surge and going forward, Mount Sinai South Nassau is there for our residents, and I truly thank them for partnering with us this hand sanitizer initiative. By opening our beaches and pools, we want our residents to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible this summer in a safe and healthy manner.”
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