By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 12 April 2020 at 5:37 pm
Orleans County has two more confirmed cases of Covid-19 while Genesee County has one more confirmed case, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today at about 5:30 p.m.
The two new cases brings Orleans County’s total confirmed cases to 28, while Genesee County is up to 75 cases.
Health Department staff have started contact tracing, putting known contacts in quarantine for two weeks. Those people will be swabbed and tested for Covid-19 if they show symptoms.
There is currently no further information to release on ages and location, the Health Departments said in a news release.
Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon.
“We encourage everyone to continue social distancing and staying home,” the departments said in a statement. “If you need to go out, for essential needs, only one person should be running those errands so as not to risk further exposure. This is not a time for gatherings or play dates or date night. The life you save may be you or a loved one. We can do this together…we are one day closer to this being a memory.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 11 April 2020 at 4:42 pm
There are 2 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans County, bringing the county’s total cases to 26, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this afternoon.
Genesee County has four more cases, for 74 total.
Contact tracing has been initiated with the Health Department advising known contacts of the people who tested positive for Covid-19 they need to be quarantine for the next two weeks. If those people develop symptoms of Covid-19 they will be swabbed and tested for the virus.
The Health Department doesn’t have additional information to be release publicly on ages and location of the new cases. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon, the Health Departments said.
“We encourage everyone to continue social distancing and stay home,” the Health Departments said in a statement. “If you need to go out, for essential needs, only one person should be running those errands so as not to risk further exposure. This is not a time for gatherings or date night. The life you save may be you or a loved one. We can do this together…we are one day closer to this being a memory.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 10 April 2020 at 5:07 pm
Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today after seeing the number of positives quadruple in a week.
Orleans County on Thursday was up to 24 confirmed cases. A week before that, the county had six cases.
Paul Pettit, the public health director for Genesee and Orleans counties, reported today that there aren’t any new confirmed cases in Orleans and one person who tested positive for the virus has recovered.
Genesee County reported seven new cases and now has 70, Pettit said, with six of the new cases in central Genesee and one in the western part of the county.
Pettit said next week the Health Department will start releasing a town by town breakdown of the cases in the two counties, which now number 94 combined. Currently the Health Department reports if the person who tested positive lives in either the eastern, central or western part of Orleans or Genesee.
The new cases in Genesee include two people in their 20s, one in the 30s, one in the 60s and three in their 70s.
Pettit said he expects the numbers will continue to steadily rise in the two counties the next two to three weeks, and that could continue in an upward trajectory. A lot of the success in fighting the spread of Covid-19 depends on the community’s adherence to social distancing, washing their hands frequently and staying home as much as possible.
Sunday is Easter and Pettit said that holiday tends to be a big day for social and community gatherings. He urges everyone to keep the gatherings small with no more than 10 people, including among families.
“I want to thank all the members of our community that are really buckling down and adhering to social distancing,” Pettit said during an afternoon news briefing. “I want to thank those folks that are taking it seriously.”
However, the Health Department in the two counties gets many reports of people gathering in large numbers.
“What you do impacts all of us,” Pettit said. “In order to get through this we need to adhere to the guidelines.”
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 April 2020 at 4:10 pm
Genesee County has 9 new confirmed cases for 63 total
Orleans County has three more confirmed cases of Covid-19 for 24 total, the Orleans and Genesee County Health Departments is reporting today.
The new cases include two people who reside in the central part of Orleans County and one on the western part of the county.
Of the new cases, one person is in the 30s, another in the 50s and one in the 90s.
One of the positive cases is connected to a confirmed positive case and is in mandatory isolation.
Genesee County has nine new confirmed cases today for 63 positives total. Eight of the individuals who tested positive reside in the central part of the county and one person lives in the eastern part of the county.
Of the ages, one is in the 20s, five in the 30s, one in the 40s, one in the 50s, and one person is in the 60s.
Three of the new positive cases were under precautionary or mandatory quarantine when they became symptomatic.
Contact tracing has been initiated for all new cases with known contacts already in mandatory quarantine. They will be swabbed to be tested for Covid-19 if symptoms become present.
The two Health Departments have broken out the ages by decade for all of the cases in the two counties.
The department wants to show that many of the cases involve younger adults. Initially the department was only reporting the cases as people under age 65, or 65 and older.
Of the 87 cases in the two counties, 14 are people in their 70s, 80s or 90s. People in their 60s make up 17 of the cases, which is the most of any decade by age, but it’s only one more than the 16 for people in their 30s.
There are 56 cases of Covid-19 for people under age 60, or 64 percent of the total.
The Health Departments report that four people have recovered from Covid-19 in Orleans and 12 have recovered in Genesee. No one has died from the virus in Orleans in the past month while one has in Genesee County.
Click here to see a map with more details about the cases in the two counties.
Passover / Holy Week / Easter Holiday
In regards to Passover and the upcoming Easter holiday, the Health Departments remind people that gatherings of people, including among families for parties or celebrations, are canceled or postponed until at least April 22, per an executive order from Gov. Cuomo.
“Many houses of worship have been live streaming their services which allows them to share their message and touch base with their congregations,” according to an advisory from the Health Departments. “As challenging as this is to do, especially over the holidays, it is vital everyone stay home. Consider celebrating with a phone call, or a social app so you can see one another and remember the life you may be saving by staying home could be one of your loved ones. This is temporary.”
Because Covid-19 is circulating locally, the Health Departments again stressed the importance of social distancing and staying home.
The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments also advised the following:
The Use of Cloth Face Coverings
The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected. Recent studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing or proper hand washing.
The cloth face cover should:
• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
Mental Health
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and having to socially distance yourself from someone you love can be difficult. Below are resources that can help you connect to a professional that can help you through these challenging times:
• Care + Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 at 585-283-5200 or text ‘Talk’ to 741741
• New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling
• Head Space: A mindfulness app called Headspace is offering some meditations to listen to for free to ease minds in such a stressful time. The app is free to download and includes meditations, sleep, and movement exercises to help with the varying emotions you may be feeling. The app does include in-app purchases. Click here for more information.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2020 at 4:26 pm
There are four new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans County and 11 more in Genesee County, according to the Orleans and Genesee County Health Departments.
The department is breaking out the ages by decades, starting today. Previously the cases were listed as being under 65, or 65 and older.
In Orleans County, the four new positive cases bring the county’s total to 21. All 4 new cases live in the central part of the county. The cases include people in their 50s, 70s, 80s, and 90s.
All of the Orleans positive cases were connected to a confirmed positive case and are in mandatory isolation the Health Department said.
Genesee County’s 11 new positive cases bring the total to 54 confirmed cases. Ten of the new cases are for people who live in the central part of the county with the other person living in the eastern part of Genesee.
The cases include one in the 20s, four people in their 30s, two in their 40s, three in their 60s, and one in the 70s.
The Health Department said they are included the age ranges broken down by decade (except those from ages 0-20) to reiterate that any age is susceptible to COVID-19 and the complications.
“Throughout the nation even young people are having serious complications which may be associated with known or unknown underlying health conditions and health behaviors such as smoking, vaping and obesity,” the Health Department said in a news release.
On Thursday the Health Department is planning a cumulative breakdown of the ages for all cases.
With the four new cases in Orleans and 11 in Genesee, contact tracing has been started with known contacts placed under mandatory quarantine. They will be swabbed for a Covid-19 test if symptoms become present.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 April 2020 at 10:17 am
Orleans County residents are expected to receive two text messages today, around noon and at 6 p.m., from the 911 emergency alert system, urging residents to protect themselves and others in the community from the coronavirus.
This is the first time the local 911 emergency communication system is sending out a county-wide alert, said Dale Banker, the emergency management director for Orleans County.
“Your impact on the community is great, and your efforts in promoting and adhering to the safety guidelines is appreciated,” according to the message.
The Public Health departments in Genesee and Orleans counties urged the 911 centers in each county to send the messages to residents. Genesee County sent the texts on Tuesday.
The message to Orleans County residents will remind them to take precautions against the virus by staying home, washing your hands frequently and following social distancing by staying at least six feet away from non-household members.
“We thank you and your community for your cooperation during these difficult times,” according to the message.
Orleans and Genesee counties have both seen a jump in the number of confirmed coronavirus cases. Orleans is up from 6 on Thursday to 17 on Tuesday. Genesee County increased from 17 on Thursday to 44 on Tuesday.
The texts today will reinforce the importance of health and safety guidance issued by the Center for Disease Control and the NYS Department of Health.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2020 at 6:55 pm
‘We’re asking the public to do their part, even if it’s painful, even if it’s something you don’t want to do. Maybe you don’t really believe or you don’t want to hear that this is a significant issue for us. We’re all in this together.’ – Paul Pettit
Photo by Tom Rivers: The Village of Albion last week closed Bullard Park to the public to fight the spread of the coronavirus in the community. Many communities have closed parks, especially playgrounds during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The public health director in Orleans and Genesee counties is urging all residents in the community to take the coronavirus seriously.
Paul Pettit, the public health director, said big increase in cases in the two counties in the past few days shows people are not adhering to social distancing with many going to stores, work and public places, sometimes while they are symptomatic.
In Orleans County, the number of cases has increased from 9 on Friday to 17 today. In Genesee County, the confirmed cases is up from 21 on Friday to 44 today.
“We’re asking you all, we’re asking the public to do their part, even if it’s painful, even if it’s something you don’t want to do,” Pettit said. “Maybe you don’t really believe or you don’t want to hear that this is a significant issue for us. But we’re all in this together, we live together, we play together, we work together. This is something that we all have to be part of to be successful and continue to flatten the curve and push this out so we don’t continue to have a spike in cases.”
Pettit said the Health Departments in the two counties receive many calls from the community about people congregating and not observing social distancing.
This week is Public Health Week in the state. Pettit said the local health departments have dedicated and hard-working staff. But Pettit said the community’s health, especially during this pandemic, depends on everyone doing their part.
“Public health is not about one person, it’s not about an agency or a government bureaucracy doing their work,” Pettit said. “Public health is about all of us together in our community. We’re going to be as healthy as we’re going to be, we’re going to be as a sick as we’re going to be as a result of the actions we take today, as a result of the way we come together and look at this as a community wide issue.”
“I call on every single of you that we are all public health, we’re all in this together, and we need to take this very seriously, and make sure we adhere to the guidelines and the guidance before so we make sure we can get through this difficult situation in front of us as quickly as we can,” Pettit said.
The best defense against Covid-19? Stay home as much as possible, Pettit said.
The Health Department provided the following update this afternoon:
Going out for essentials – recommendations
• If you have to pick up essential items such as groceries or prescriptions, only one member of the household should be going out. Make a list ahead of time to limit your exposure in the store. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and other people.
• Do not bring in unessential items such as purses, phones, etc. These items can carry germs from the store and back home with you. Wash your hands frequently and use a cloth face shield to protect yourself and others from spreading the virus.
Businesses and Employers
• Essential businesses must continue to comply with the guidance and directives for maintaining a clean and safe work environment issued by the New York State Department of Health and every business, even if essential, is strongly urged to maintain social distance to the extent possible.
• As an employer or business, it is your responsibility to protect your workforce and to follow and understand guidance as it pertains to Covid-19. The health and safety of your employees should be your utmost concern.
Below are some things to consider:
• Actively encourage sick employees to stay home. Develop policies that encourage sick employees to stay at home without fear of repercussions, and ensure employees are aware of these policies. There is a lot of guidance and information available to businesses and employees in regards to coverage of wages and protections related to Covid-19
• Provide education and training materials in an easy to understand format and in the appropriate language and literacy level for all employees, like fact sheets and posters.
• If an employee becomes sick while at work, they should be separated from other employees, customers, and visitors and sent home immediately. Follow CDC guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting areas the sick employee visited.
• Have conversations with employees about their concerns. Some employees may be at higher risk for severe illness, such as older adults and those with chronic medical conditions.
• The Governor has established the New York State PAUSE Enforcement Assistance Task Force where individuals can file complaints regarding the operation of non-essential businesses or gatherings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Click here to file a complaint online. You may also call 1-833-789-0470. Businesses that are not in compliance with the Governor’s executive order may be penalized.
• If you believe your employer is in violation of either existing labor laws or recently issued executive orders, please contact the New York State Attorney General’s office at (212) 416-8700 or Labor.Bureau@ag.ny.gov.
Use of Cloth Face Coverings
• The CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The cloth face cover is meant to protect other people in case you are infected.
Recent studies have suggested that Covid-19 may be spread by people who are not showing symptoms. Continue to keep about 6 feet between yourself and others. The cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing or proper hand washing.
• The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.
• Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, is unconscious, or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.
The cloth face cover should:
• fit snugly but comfortably against the side of the face
• be secured with ties or ear loops
• include multiple layers of fabric
• allow for breathing without restriction
• be able to be laundered and machine dried without damage or change to shape
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2020 at 4:47 pm
Genesee has 10 new cases, 2 more in Orleans since yesterday
Orleans and Genesee counties are both seeing a significant jump in confirmed cases of Covid-19.
Orleans has two more new cases today, after six new confirmed cases on Monday. Orleans now is at 17 total cases, Public Health Director Paul Pettit said at a 4 p.m. news briefing.
Genesee County has experienced a bigger increase, with 10 new cases today after 10 on Monday. Genesee is now at 44 total positives.
In Orleans County, both new cases are people under age 65, with one from central Orleans and the other from the eastern end of the county.
Pettit said the Health Department expects to make more information available about the cases, putting them in age brackets by decade. Right now the department only reports if the person is 65 or older or under 65.
Many of the cases are younger adults who are being active in the community, either going to the store frequently, going to work or attending social gatherings.
Pettit said it is imperative that people of all ages stay home as much as possible to stop the spread of what he said is a “prolific” virus, capable of easily passing from one person to another.
Of the two new cases in Orleans, one person was already under quarantine after being a known contact with someone who tested positive, while the other didn’t have a known connection to someone with the virus.
Of the 10 new cases in Genesee County, 7 are under age 65 in the central part of the county and 3 are under 65 in eastern Genesee.
All 10 of the new positives are people who were under precautionary or mandatory quarantine. They had known connections with others who had Covid-19.
Of the 44 cases in Genesee, 10 people have recovered from the illness and while four of the 17 in Orleans are considered to be recovered.
Click here to see a two-county map with more details about the cases and testing in the two counties.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 April 2020 at 12:56 pm
Photo courtesy of Rochester Regional Health
BATAVIA – Norma Longrod, 94, of Orleans County has been released from a Batavia hospital after beating Covid-19, Rochester Regional Health said today.
Longrod was admitted to United Memorial Medical Center in March. She had fallen and had a fever of 102. She was immediately placed in isolation at the hospital away from other patients.
She took hydroxychloroquine at the Batavia hospital to help in her recovery.
“Somehow she was able to stay strong enough and pull through this,” said Dr. Peter Janes, a hospital at United Memorial. “It’s pretty amazing. She ended up being a pretty resilient lady.”
She is one of the oldest people in Western New York to recover from the coronavirus.
In a video posted by Rochester Regional Health, Longrod thanks the hospital for her care. She urged people to take precautions from the virus.
“They’re crazy if they don’t take it seriously,” she said.
She is now recovering at Orchard Manor Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Medina.
Click here to see the video about Longrod posted by Rochester Regional Health.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 April 2020 at 4:28 pm
Orleans has 6 new cases, with 10 more in Genesee
Orleans and Genesee counties both have several new confirmed cases of coronavirus, the local health department is reporting this afternoon.
Since Saturday, Orleans has six new confirmed cases for a total of 15 while Genesee has 10 more for a total of 32.
“Today’s jump in numbers are reflective of increasing community spread and the fact so many are still out and about, taking the family grocery shopping, going to work sick, and having gatherings at home,” the Genesee and Orleans County Health Department said in a news release. “Keep in mind as you disregard the Governor’s orders and related guidance, you are risking exposure to yourself and your family members and are perpetuating the spread of COVID-19 for everyone in our communities.”
In Orleans County, the breakdown of the cases includes:
• Four of the positive cases are 65 and older and reside in the central part of the county;
• One of the cases is a person under the age of 65 who lives in the eastern part of the county;
• One of the cases is 65 and over and resides in the western part of Orleans County.
• One of the six people are under isolation at a hospital and the other five are under mandatory isolation at home.
• Two of the Orleans positive cases were under precautionary or mandatory quarantine when they became symptomatic.
In Genesee County, the breakdown of the new cases includes:
• All 10 new cases involved people under the age of 65 residing in the central part of Genesee County.
• Four of the positive cases were under mandatory quarantine and are now under mandatory isolation.
• All of the positive cases are under mandatory isolation at home.
Contact tracing has been initiated for all new cases, with known contacts under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if symptoms become present, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported in a news release.
The Health Department stated the following:
• If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus.
• When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts
• We are asking that people be respectful and accommodating of health care workers and responders. They are doing their job to protect you and our community.
• Be Responsible – Because COVID-19 is circulating locally, we can’t stress enough how important social distancing is and that EVERYONE needs to take this seriously and stay home! It is your social and civic responsibility to protect yourselves and others.
• When you are sick, stay home from work! A significant increase in the number of mandatory quarantines being reported today is due to a symptomatic person going to work at a local business. If you are part of gatherings and even one person tests positive everyone in close contact to the positive will be placed on mandatory quarantine. We’re all in this together, we need to make sacrifices in the short term to get us through this challenging time.
• Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases.
• Connect together by celebrating apart. We understand that Easter is a time many families gather to celebrate the holiday with spring time traditions such as Easter egg hunts and large family dinners. We are asking our communities to think of fun and clever ways in which you can still virtually connect with your loved ones while keeping everyone safe and healthy.
• Going out for essentials: If you have to pick up essential items such as groceries or prescriptions, only one member of the household should be going out. Make a list ahead of time to limit your exposure in the store. Maintain at least 6 feet of distance between you and other people. Do not bring in unessential items such as purses, phones, etc. These items can carry germs from the store and back home with you. Wash your hands frequently.
• Practice social distancing everywhere, including outdoors. As the weather begins to warm up it is important to understand that you must continue to practice social distancing. This means maintaining 6 feet of distance between you and other people. DO NOT play or participate in sports or activities that bring people together. If you are walking, jogging, or biking outside, make sure you pass people at a minimum of 6 feet apart. Being outdoors will not protect you from contracting the virus. Remember this is only temporary. The more we practice social distancing the sooner we can get back to normal.
• Please stay home if you are sick. DO NOT go to work if you are sick, symptomatic, or feel unwell. If you develop symptoms while at work, go home immediately.
• Medical Concerns: If you feel you may have COVID-19, call your primary care provider or healthcare facility ahead of time. Do not go directly there. Call ahead to get guidance.
