Flu cases are up in Orleans, especially among those 60 and older

State-wide the number of new cases dropped 43 percent

The number of new confirmed cases has decreased in New York State during the week ending Jan. 3, but the cases went up in Orleans County during that week, especially among those 60 and older.

State-wide, there were 28,554 laboratory-confirmed cases in the week ending Jan. 3, which is down 43 percent from 49,850 cases the previous week. This season there have been 269,433 laboratory-confirmed cases, according to the state Department of Health.

Flu hospitalizations is at 4,228 in the week ending Jan. 3, down 7 percent from 4,546 in previous week. So far this flu season 17,833 people have been hospitalized in New York State.

In Orleans County, the rate of cases is at 353.8 per 100,000 people, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. That is up from 181.7 per 100,000 from the previous week, and 76.5 the week ending Dec. 20.

The rate for people ages 0-19 is at 226.1 in the week ending Jan. 3, which is down from 440.4 the previous week and 571.3 the week ending Dec. 20.

Overall, the rate of new confirmed cases in Orleans County is at 204.1 per 100,000 people. (The county’s population is the 2020 census was 40,343.) That 204.1 rate is up from the 196.5 in both the previous two weeks.

While the cases was up slightly in Orleans County, Genesee had a rate of new confirmed cases at 146.7 for the week ending Jan. 3. That was down significantly from the rate of 252 new cases the previous week and 239.9 from the week ending Dec. 20.

While the new cases were down statewide, in Genesee and Orleans counties the new cases increased from 217 for the week ending Dec. 20 to 224 in the week ending Dec. 27, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

In Genesee and Orleans counties the new confirmed cases was 166 for the week ending Jan. 3. That is down from 224 the previous week and 217 for the week ending Dec. 20, according to the local health departments.