HEALTH DEPARTMENT NOTIFYING RESIDENTS OF POSSIBLE MEASLES EXPOSURES IN MONSEY, NANUET, AND SPRING VALLEY MAY 6 – MAY 19

Measles cases continue to climb in Rockland

NEW CITY, NY - - With the continued measles outbreak in Rockland, County Executive Ed Day and County Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Schnabel Ruppert remind residents of the importance of getting vaccinated. As of May 24, there are 247 confirmed reported cases of measles in the county since the outbreak began in October 2018.

Measles is one of the most contagious viruses on earth; 90% of unvaccinated people exposed to the virus become infected. You can catch measles just by being in a room where a person with measles has been, up to 2 hours after that person is gone. You can catch measles from an infected person even before they have a measles rash. Due to Rockland County's small geographic size, exposure to the measles may occur anywhere in Rockland.

Anyone who visited the following locations or used the following taxis at these times may have been exposed to measles:
• Satmar of Monsey, located at 1 Monsey Boulevard, Monsey, NY 10952, from Monday, May 6 through Tuesday, May 14 with an ongoing risk of exposure.

• Congregation Yetev Lev of Satmar, located at 13 Monsey Boulevard, Monsey, NY 10952, from Monday, May 6 through Tuesday, May 14 with an ongoing risk of exposure.

• Rockland Kosher Supermarket, located in the Shoppers Haven Mall, 27 Orchard Street, Monsey, NY 10952, on Monday, May 13 from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 9:00 pm.

• Congregation Khal Torath Chaim Viznitz, located at 25 Phyllis Terrace, Monsey, NY 10952, from Sunday, May 12 until Sunday, May 19 with an ongoing risk of exposure.

• Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim, located at 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, NY 10952, on Wednesday, May 15, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 7:00 pm.
• Bais Medrash Ohr Chaim, located at 20 Forshay Road, Monsey, NY 10952, on Thursday, May 16, from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 7:00 pm.

• Synagogue Yeshiva Chovetz Chaim, located at 51 Kiryas Radin Drive, Spring Valley, NY 10977, on Wednesday, May 15, from 9:45 am to 1:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 3:00 pm.
• Synagogue Yeshiva Chovetz Chaim, located at 51 Kiryas Radin Drive, Spring Valley, NY 10977, on Thursday, May 16, from 9:45 am to 1:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 3:00 pm.

• Maple Medex Pharmacy inside Evergreen Kosher Market, located at 59 Route 59, Monsey, NY 10952, on Thursday, May 16, from 12:40 pm to 3:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 5:00 pm.

• Costco, located at 50 Overlook Blvd, Nanuet, NY 10954, on Thursday, May 16 from 7:00 pm until 9:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 11:00 pm.

Taxis:
• La Familia Taxi on Monday, May 13, roundtrip to Rockland Kosher Supermarket, from 3:30 pm to 4:00 pm with a risk of exposure until 6:00 pm, and from 7:00 pm to 7:30 pm with a risk of exposure until 9:30 pm.
• La Familia Taxi on Sunday, May 19, to Refuah Health Center located at 728 N. Main Street, Spring Valley, NY 10977, from 4:30 pm to 5:00 pm, with a risk of exposure until 7:00 pm.

These times reflect the period that the infected individuals were in these areas and a two-hour period after they left the areas, because the virus remains in the air and on surfaces for up to two hours. If you were present at these locations during these times, especially if you are in any of the following high-risk groups, contact your health care provider by phone right away (call before going for care):
• Pregnant
• A child under 6 months of age
• Immunocompromised or immunosuppressed (when your body can't fight disease)
• Have not been vaccinated against the measles
• Were born before 1957 and are immunosuppressed

"Being up-to-date with your measles vaccination is the best way to help protect yourself, your family, and the community, especially those who cannot get vaccinated because they are too young or have specific health conditions," said Dr. Ruppert. Since the outbreak began, the Health Department together with partners such as Refuah Health Center and private pediatricians and family doctors have administered over 21,000 doses of MMR vaccine.

MMR vaccines are available at local health care providers or by calling a local federally qualified health center, such as Refuah or Hudson River Health Care. The federally qualified health centers see patients on a sliding fee scale and by appointment. They may require patients new to their centers to have a well visit first, before a vaccine can be given. Visit www.nachc.org/about/about-our-health-centers/find-a-health-center/ to find the locations of federally qualified health centers in Rockland.

The Health Department is actively working to contain the further spread of measles. If you are ill with a fever, rash, or conjunctivitis (red watery eyes), please help protect our community - stay home, do not have visitors, and do not go out in public. If you have symptoms consistent with measles, contact your health care provider, a local clinic, or a local emergency department before going for care. This will help prevent others at these facilities from being exposed to the illness.

"We urge everyone to follow the Health Department's advice - get vaccinated against the measles, and if you are sick with measles - stay home. We are making progress against this dangerous disease but this outbreak is still a public health emergency and we need the entire community's help to end it," said County Executive Ed Day.

The Health Department is asking all health care providers to immediately report all cases of suspect measles to the Rockland County Department of Health Communicable Disease Program staff by calling (845) 364-2997 during normal business hours, or (845) 364-8600 after hours/weekends. Health Care Providers can also call this number for additional information.

Residents can get more information about measles by visiting https://bit.ly/2zh4v1G and by calling the New York State Department of Health toll free Measles Information Line at (888) 364-4837.