By Lourice Angie
The Warwick Town Board met for their regularly scheduled meeting on Thurs., Dec. 10 at the Warwick Town Hall. Due to the ongoing risks of COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held via Zoom to the public.
Positive Covid-19 Cases on the Rise
During the Board meeting, Town of Warwick Supervisor Michael Sweeton said that the Town is currently seeing a spike in positive COVID-19 cases. This includes active positive cases and some still under investigation.
Supervisor Sweeton said the County has pinpointed these new cases to small private gatherings with family and friends that seem to occur in indoor settings. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Town has a 3.8% positivity rate overall, which remains lower than most hot spot areas throughout New York.
The Town Board urges all residents to use caution and double down on safety efforts by continuing to wear face masks, wash their hands and use hand sanitizer as much as possible.
Supervisor Sweeton says that COVID-19 vaccines will be arriving in New York State within the next few weeks. They will initially be administered to healthcare workers and prioritized for those people with the most health risks from there on.
“We caution people to be careful in the next upcoming months until we get through this hurdle,” said Sweeton.
Recent Vehicle Larcenies
The Town of Warwick Police Department is investigating multiple larcenies from vehicles that have occurred over the last several weeks. The Town of Warwick Police Department received several reports from different neighborhoods in the town where vehicles parked in driveways were entered and had items removed. According to police, all of the vehicles were left unlocked.
The Detective Unit is currently conducting interviews and canvassing the neighborhoods that were affected as well as working with other area police departments that are experiencing similar incidents. Police detectives are retrieving home videos in an attempt to identify the suspects involved in the crimes. If anyone has information or video, they are asked to contact the Detective Unit at 986-5000.
Town Hall Lobby Remains Open
Offices at the Town Hall, located at 132 Kings Hwy. in Warwick, are currently closed to the public. The lobby will remain open with drop boxes to leave forms, water and sewer bills, building dept. applications, etc. Most forms and applications as well as updates regarding COVID-19 are online at www.townofwarwick.org.
Friendly Visitor Program
In Need of Volunteers
The Friendly Visitor Program (FVP) is a volunteer, free of charge service that helps Warwick seniors with disabilities manage their independence in their own homes. Volunteers are well trained and background checks are performed. The program is a partnership with the Office for the Aging and Jewish Family Service (JFS). Some of the program’s services include rides to appointments, food shopping, visits, and light chores. In the new year, several services like medical visits will remain prioritized while shopping will be limited to once every two weeks.
Due to the ongoing pandemic, volunteer numbers have declined significantly. There are currently 53 volunteers in the FVP with a total of 134 neighbors. To sign up as a volunteer, call 986-1124 ext. 400 or visit www.TownofWarwick.org.
Next Town Board Meeting
The next Town Board meeting will be held on Thurs., Dec. 31 at 1 p.m. in the Town Hall located at 132 Kings Hwy. in Warwick.
