3 local rural counties reach pandemic high for active Covid cases

Nearly 500 cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming

The three local rural counties of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming combined have reached a new high for active cases of Covid-19.

The data reported Thursday by the health departments in the three counties puts the active cases at nearly 500 in the three counties, which combined have about 140,000 residents.

The 497 active cases reported Thursday passes the previous high of 449, which was recorded on Dec. 7 and Dec. 10. On Wednesday there were 446 active cases, which was up from 417 on Tuesday.

An active case is someone who has tested positive but hasn’t been cleared from mandatory isolation. If people test positive for Covid, they must be in mandatory isolation for at least 10 days. They are cleared after they have been fever free the last 3 days with symptom improvement. Sadly, if people die after contracting Covid, that also is no longer an active case.

Orleans County currently has its record-high for active cases with 159. The previous high was 144 on Dec. 11.

Lynne Johnson, the Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, urged the community to take precautions to slow the spread of Covid. She worries the county will be designated a micro-cluster zone by the state, with restrictions imposed on businesses.

“What we need to do is get our numbers down before we are shut down,” Johnson said during Wednesday’s County Legislature meeting.

Genesee and Wyoming also are near their pandemic highs. Genesee on Thursday recorded 220 active cases. It’s high was 269 on Dec. 7.

Wyoming was at 118 active cases on Thursday. It’s high during the pandemic is 123.