Department pursues fairness and equity in the marketplace

Press Release, The Genesee-Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures

Provided photos: Ronald P. Mannella serves as Weights & Measures director in Genesee and Orleans counties.

The Genesee-Orleans County Department of Weights & Measures is responsible for testing all commercial devices used to weigh and measures various commodities.

These inspections are done annually at over 220 businesses which include grocery stores, delis, bakeries, produce stands, laundromats, farms, manufacturing plants, distribution centers, stone quarries, gas stations and non-commercial locations as requested.

The department is also responsible for testing the quality of fuel sold within the counties, a task that is 100% reimbursed by NYS (132 fuel samples were taken in 2020). We celebrate this marketplace protection annually on March 1st, the start of National Weights & Measure Week.

Prior to 2020, Genesee and Orleans County operated separate W&M departments. This changed last January when Ronald P. Mannella was appointed Director for both – a move with estimated annual savings of over $54,000.

2020 resulted in 1,138 total devices tested between the two counties, including a 4.11% increase in Genesee County devices compared to 2019.

“In our first year functioning as a shared department, we were able to serve both communities better than ever before,” Mannella said. “We pumped over 13,000 gallons of fuel and used over 5 million pounds for testing.”

Tested and approved

These seals indicate a device was tested and approved for use by a Weights & Measures inspector. New for 2021, our seals will incorporate two public health messages acting as reminders for residents and visitors to the area.

“Our new seals for this year will address drunk driving and hand washing in an attempt to better the health outcomes of our residents,” Mannella said. “I believe we are the first in the state, potentially the nation, to use health and safety messaging on inspection seals – which have gone relatively unchanged for decades. It’s a great opportunity and use of the space allotted to us.”

Protection at the pump

With support from the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Genesee-Orleans and the surrounding counties are cracking down on credit card skimmers and those responsible. W&M inspectors perform random

sweeps of fuel stations looking for these fraudulent devices. Arrests have been made and we want it known that New York will not tolerate these criminal acts.

If you have suspicious credit card activity, call your bank immediately.

For more information about Weights & Measures (click here) or call Genesee County at 585-344-2580 ext. 5555 or Orleans County at 585-589-3278.

Orleans County is a little higher at 2.8%

Courtesy of the Governor’s Office: This is the 7-day average percentage of positive test results over the last three days in each of the 10 regions of the state.

The Finger Lakes Region hit a milestone with the positive rate of Covid tests falling below 2 percent over 7 days.

The 7-day average ending on Friday was 1.92 percent for the nine-county region that includes Orleans. The Finger Lakes is lower than the statewide 7-day average of 3.18 percent.

Less than two months ago, the Finger Lakes Region had a 7-day positivity rate of 10.29 percent on Jan. 5, among the highest in the state.

The number of people hospitalized in the region due to Covid has also dropped from a pandemic high with 964 on Dec. 28 to 210 on Friday.

The positivity rate in Orleans County is above the region’s average but it is going down. The 7-day average for positive tests in Orleans is currently 2.8 percent. Orleans County’s had the highest 7-day positivity rate in the nine-county Finger Lakes Region on Feb. 6 with a rate of 7.2 percent.

This is the 7-day average among the nine counties in the Finer Lakes Region.

• Genesee, 3.3 percent
• Livingston, 1.4 percent
• Monroe, 1.8 percent
• Ontario, 2.0 percent
• Orleans, 2.8 percent
• Seneca, 4.6 percent
• Wayne, 2.1 percent
• Wyoming, 3.1 percent
• Yates. 0.8 percent

Governor Andrew Cuomo reported today there were 5,445 People hospitalized on Friday statewide due to Covid, the lowest since Dec. 12.

There were 8,141 new confirmed Covid cases on Friday out of 285,307 tests for a positivity rate of 2.85%. The state’s 7-day average for positive tests at 3.18 percent is the lowest since Nov. 26

“The footrace between the positivity rate and the vaccination rate is progressing in our favor and we’ve been able to reopen different sectors of our economy, but we still need more vaccines to propel us over the finish line,” Cuomo said in a statement. “We have continuously opened more vaccination sites as our supply allows, and we’re ready to get shots in arms as quickly and fairly as possible as our allocations increase. We can get to the light at the end of the tunnel, but we’re going to need to stay safe and vigilant and care for our fellow New Yorkers.”

Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 22 more cases of Covid-19, which brings the total in the two counties to 6,646 since last March.

In Orleans County there are 4 new confirmed cases of Covid for a total of 2,409 positive cases during the pandemic, according to today’s update from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s and 80s. Orleans is reporting 3 of the new positive individuals were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The county also has 4 more recoveries from Covid. There is currently one person from the county hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 18 new cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,237 positive cases during the pandemic.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Genesee is reporting 18 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 14 county residents hospitalized due to Covid.

The G-O Health Departments reported one positive resident was retracted after a case at the Batavia VA Medical Center was determined to be a duplicate.

These charts from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments show the recent data is mostly trending downward in the two counties.

Orleans reports a Covid-related death at nursing home in Medina

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today there are 26 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the two counties, bringing the total to 6,624 since last March in Genesee and Orleans.

In Orleans County there are 5 new positive cases reported today for a total of 2,405 confirmed cases since last March.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby) and Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s.

Orleans is reporting 5 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There aren’t currently any county residents hospitalized due to Covid.

The Health Departments is reporting a Covid-related death, a person who was a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina.

“We do not report any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family,” the Health Departments said in a news briefing. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad time.”

Albion Central School also is reporting a middle school student has tested positive for Covid-19. The student is a hybrid learner and was last in school on Feb. 12. Due to the 48-hour look-back period, the Department of Health determined that there was no need to quarantine any additional individuals, the district state don its website.

Medina Central School also is reporting today that a middle school staff member tested positive for Covid. The Department of Health has investigated and determined that no further school-related quarantines are required.

In Genesee County there are 21 new positive cases of Covid-19 reported today for a total of 4,219 positive cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in their 20s, 40s, 50s, and 60s.

Genesee is reporting 3 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 14 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments today are reporting 33 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the two counties, bringing the total to 6,598 in the two counties since last March.

In Orleans County there are 19 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,400 cases during the pandemic.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s,30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Orleans is reporting 3 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are currently two county residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Correction for the West Region: an individual was removed who was not an Orleans County resident. The correct number of positives for Tuesday is one less at 2,381.

In Genesee County there are 14 new positive cases reported today for a total of 4,198 confirmed cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.

Genesee is reporting 23 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 14 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

This is each of the 10 regions 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days.

Statewide: Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the Covid-19 positivity rate was 2.85 percent yesterday, the lowest since Nov. 21.

On Tuesday there were 6,189 positive tests out of 216,813 test results for a positivity rate of 2.85 percent. There were 5,876 people hospitalized due to Covid in the state on Tuesday, which was down 101 from Monday. The hospitalizations due to Covid is down 698 in the past week in the state.

There were 99 deaths reported from Covid on Tuesday, bringing the state-wide total to 38,135 during the pandemic.

“New Yorkers have shown courage and fortitude in the face of this unprecedented pandemic, and it’s thanks to them that we’re seeing a decline in hospitalizations and in the Covid positivity rate,” Cuomo said. “The vaccine is the light at the end of the tunnel and we’re continuing to aggressively expand our statewide network of distribution sites, but we need more supply to thoroughly vaccinate the population and begin our transition to a post-pandemic world.”

In Orleans County there are 5 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today, bringing the total to 2,382 since last March, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby) and Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 30s, 40s, and 60s.

One of the new positives was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Orleans is reporting that 5 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 2 county residents hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 15 new positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the total 4,184 positive cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 70s and 80s. One of the new positive cases is a resident of The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.

Genesee is reporting that 18 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are 12 Genesee residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

Leaders from 3 rural counties tell governor they have been left out with Covid vaccine

Photo by Tom Rivers: The clock leading to the entrance of GCC in Batavia is pictured with the Conable Technology Building at left in this file photo.

BATAVIA – The leaders of the three rural counties of Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming have sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, asking that the state utilize GCC’s campus in Batavia as a mass vaccination clinic for the three counties.

“These counties have consistently been left out of the Covid-19 response with delays in testing supplies and now with very limited vaccine allocations. All three counties are medically underserved and having a regional clinic with less than a half hour commute would benefit these communities,” according to the letter which was signed by Rochelle Stein, Genesee County Legislative Chairwoman; Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislative Chairwoman; Rebecca Ryan, Wyoming County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman; Paul Pettit, Genesee Orleans County Health Departments Director; and Dr. Gregory Collins, Wyoming County Health Department Medical Director.

If properly staffed through assistance by the National Guard the officials said that the GCC clinic would have the capacity to vaccinate 2,000 people per day.

“With the three counties vulnerable and underserved populations, the county Local Health Departments also request to continue receiving allocations for their vulnerable populations locally to meet the needs of those with transportation/access issues while also supporting a larger regional clinic at GCC,” the officials wrote.

The clinic would be strategically located between Buffalo and Rochester. The site at GCC would provide closer access to a mass vaccination clinic for residents in the three rural counties, and also would draw the eastern and western portions of other contiguous counties with the college campus easily accessible off the Thruway, the officials wrote.

“Our three counties look forward to working with your office to provide this much needed and more equitable solution to meet the needs of the more rural communities,” the officials concluded in the letter to the governor.

DOH strongly recommends rapid test for visitors

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo on Monday announced new, expanded guidelines for visitation of residents in nursing home facilities in accordance with CMS and CDC guidelines to begin on February 26.

The Department of Health recommends that visitors take a rapid test before entry into the facility, and DOH will provide rapid tests to nursing homes to facilitate their ability to test visitors on-site and at no cost. Visitation continues to depend on the nursing home facility being free of COVID-19 cases for 14 days and the facility is not currently conducting outbreak testing.

“One of the most devastating aspects of this virus has been how it separated families from their loved ones, making an already difficult situation even harder to bear,” Governor Cuomo said. “Thanks to the dedication of New Yorkers, we’re now at a point where we can begin to expand nursing home visitations under strict guidelines to protect the health and safety of residents.”

For counties with COVID-19 positivity rates between 5-10 percent on a 7-day rolling average, visitor testing is required and visitors must either present with a negative Covid-19 test, either PCR or rapid, within 72 hours or facilities may utilize rapid tests to meet the requirement. For counties with Covid-19 positivity rates below 5 percent on a 7-day rolling average, visitor testing is strongly encouraged and rapid tests may be utilized.

Alternatively, visitors may provide proof of a completed Covid-19 vaccination no less than 14 days from the date of the visit and no more than 90 days prior to the visit. Visitation will not be permitted if the county’s Covid-19 positivity rate is greater than 10 percent. Compassionate care visits are always permitted.

Based on the needs of residents and a facility’s structure, visitation can be conducted in resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces and outdoors. The number of visitors to the nursing home must not exceed 20 percent of the resident census at any time and the number of visitors and time allocated to visitation should be considerate of this capacity limitation.

Full DOH guidance for nursing home visitation can be found by clicking here.

There are 73 more confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans and Genesee counties in the first update since Friday afternoon. The two counties combined have now recorded 6,546 cases since last March.

In Orleans County there 14 new positive cases of Covid-19 since Friday afternoon for a total of 2,377 cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 80s. Of the new cases, 3 are inmates at the Albion Correctional Facility, a women’s prison.

Orleans is reporting 20 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently two residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Albion Central School reported that 2 students, 2 staff members tested positive for Covid-19. The two are remote learners. One is from the High School and the other is from the Middle School. They have been learning remotely all year.

One of the staff members is from the Middle School who was last in the building on Feb. 12.  The second staff member works in the Elementary School and was also last in the building on Feb. 12.

Due to the 48-hour look-back period, the Department of Health determined that, in all instances, there was no need to quarantine any additional individuals, the district said.

In Genesee County there are 59 new positive cases since Friday for a total of 4,169 positive cases since last march.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. Of the new cases, 7 are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia.

Genesee is reporting 31 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee also has 10 of its residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today updated New Yorkers on the state’s progress during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The statewide positivity rate, now at 2.99 percent, dropped below 3 percent for the first time since November 23.

The Governor also said the first case of the South African variant has been identified in a resident of New York State. The sequencing, involving a Nassau County resident, was conducted at Opentrons Labworks Inc’s Pandemic Response Lab, a New York City based commercial lab, and verified at the Wadsworth Center in Albany. Last week, a Connecticut resident who had been hospitalized in New York City was found to have the South African variant.

“We continue to see a reduction in positivity and hospitalizations throughout the state, which is good news, and this progress is allowing us to reopen the valve on our economy even further,” Cuomo said. “But with the discovery of a case of the South African variant in the state, it’s more important than ever for New Yorkers to stay vigilant, wear masks, wash hands and stay socially distanced. We are in a race right now — between our ability to vaccinate and these variants which are actively trying to proliferate — and we will only win that race if we stay smart and disciplined.”

Today’s data is summarized briefly below:

• Test Results Reported – 221,157
• Total Positive – 6,610
• Percent Positive – 2.99%
• 7-Day Average Percent Positive – 3.44%
• Patient Hospitalization – 5,764 (-213)
• Net Change Patient Hospitalization Past Week – down by 829
• Deaths – 75
• Total Deaths – 37,851

This is each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days.

There are 25 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today in Genesee and Orleans with the two counties now at 6,473 cases during the pandemic since last March, according to today’s daily update from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Since last Friday, Orleans County has 30 new cases while Genesee has 79. The number of active cases in the two counties has dropped in the past seven days from 147 to 118 as recoveries outpaced new cases.

Each county reported one death in the past week that was Covid-related.

In Orleans County there are 7 new positive cases of Covid-19 to report today for a total of 2,363 positive cases since last March.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 40s and 60s.

Four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are 2 county residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

In Genesee County there are 18 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,110 positive cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. Of the new cases, 7 are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia, where 75 people have now tested positive for Covid during the pandemic.

Genesee is reporting 11 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. There are 13 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

State will provide free Covid rapid tests to nursing homes

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the New York State Department of Health will allow visitation of residents in nursing home facilities in accordance with CMS and CDC guidelines.

The Department of Health recommends that visitors take a rapid test before entry into the facility, and DOH will provide rapid tests to nursing homes at no cost. Guidance on visitations will be available beginning Monday, February 22.

The Governor also announced that New York City indoor dining can expand to 35 percent capacity next Friday, February 26. The reopening is subject to strict state guidance and aligns with New Jersey’s 35 percent limit.

Covid-19 hospitalizations dropped to 6,155, the lowest level since December 17. The 7-day average positivity rate has declined for 42 straight days.

“One of the most devastating aspects of this virus has been how it separated families from their loved ones, making an already difficult situation even harder to bear,” Cuomo said. “Thanks to the dedication of New Yorkers, we’re now at a point where we can begin to resume nursing home visitations under strict guidelines to protect the health and safety of residents. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer, but we are not out of the woods yet.”

BATAVIA – The afternoon Covid-19 vaccine appointments at GCC in Batavia are still on schedule.

The appointments between 9 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. needed to be rescheduled due to the weather-related delay of vaccine delivery.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have notified those with the earlier appointments about the need to be rescheduled for next week, but the other appointments are still set for today.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments today are reporting 5 new Covid cases in each county, which are among the lowest daily numbers since a Covid surge started in November.

In Orleans County the 5 new cases bring the total to 2,356 positive cases since last March.

The positive cases reside in the West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby), Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre) and East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon). The individuals are in the age groups of 20s, 30s, 40s and 60s.

Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized. Orleans is unable to report the number of those who have recovered or the number of active positive cases today. This data will be included in tomorrow’s update. The Daily Data Chart also will be updated on Friday, the Health Departments said in a news briefing sent this afternoon.

In Genesee County the 5 new positive cases bring the Genesee total to 4,092 confirmed cases since last March.

The new positive cases reside in the West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke), Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) and East Region (Bergen, Byron, LeRoy, Pavilion, Stafford). The individuals are in the age groups of 20s, 40s and 50s. One of the new positive individuals is an inmate at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center in Batavia.

Genesee is reporting one of the previously positive individuals has recovered and been removed from the isolation list. Genesee currently has 14 residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Correction: The Health Departments retracted one positive resident of the LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility that was determined to be a duplicate.