Long Island Summer Town, Southold, Coronavirus Hotspot; Locals Blame NYC Outsiders

Southold in Suffolk County, New York's well-known vacation spot, confirmed 174 cases of COVID-19 on Friday.

The town, which was famous for its beaches, vineyards and laid-back ambiance reported the region's highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases with 7.9 cases per 1,000 residents, Fox News reported.

There have been eight reported deaths from the area, all of them were nursing home and retirement community residents of Peconic Landing in Greenport.

Riverheadlocal.com reported that, as of Tuesday, 25 people have been infected at Peconic Landing and 10 of them were residents while the Southampton Press reported on Wednesday that two of those who died in the area were Edward Porco, 89, and his wife Joan, 90, who died last week in a four-day span.

Some locals blame outsiders from New York City who spent time in their summer homes in Southold in an attempt to escape the outbreak, and Southold Supervisor Scott Russell urged the Manhattanites to stay away.

"First thing we need to do is shut down the valve for people who are getting out of the New York City region and renting in Southold,” he said.

According to the New York Post, Suffolk and New York City had lower rates of infection than Southold, and even though Suffolk's five western towns had more confirmed coronavirus cases than Southold, those towns have much larger populations.