People with underlying conditions can try to get vaccine beginning Feb. 14 at state-run sites

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions can make appointments at state-run mass vaccination sites beginning Feb. 14, with the first appointments scheduled for Feb. 15.

Excess vaccine supply meant for hospital workers can be used to open eligibility for New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions. Local health departments will determine how, where and when to schedule appointments in their jurisdictions, and those appointments will begin as early as Feb. 15. No local jurisdiction should accept appointments until the allocations are known, and no earlier than Feb. 14.

“As the state’s effort to vaccinate health care workers nears completion this week, we are now shifting those doses to prioritize those New Yorkers with comorbidities and pre-existing conditions – a group which has felt the brunt of Covid’s destructiveness first-hand,” Governor Cuomo said. “I want to remind newly eligible New Yorkers to please be patient when beginning to schedule appointments – we can only administer as many doses as the federal supply allows and we’re continuing to fight for more every day.”

To show they have comorbidities or underlying conditions, New Yorkers must provide documentation as required by the facility where they are getting vaccinated which must be either:

• Doctor’s Letter, or
• Medical Information Evidencing Comorbidity, or
• Signed Certification

New York State will audit local systems. The New York State Department of Health will host a call with county executives and local health departments to discuss strategies and compliance associated with vaccinating New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions.

The full list of comorbidities and underlying conditions is available below. The list is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as New York State obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.

Adults of any age with the following conditions due to increased risk of moderate or severe illness or death from the virus that causes COVID-19:

• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
• Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
• Liver disease

Recoveries outpacing new cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming

This chart from the Health Departments in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties shows how the actives cases started to increase in November and have been decreasing in the past few weeks.

The number of active cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties has fallen to its lowest level in about two months. There are currently 242 active cases in the three counties with 83 in Orleans County, 91 in Genesee and 68 in Wyoming.

A month ago on Jan. 7 there were 718 active cases in the three counties. (Click here to see a three-county database about Covid cases.)

The 83 in Orleans compares with a pandemic high of 279 on Jan. 7. It’s also the fewest active cases in Orleans since there were 77 on Dec. 4.

The 91 in Genesee County is the lowest number in the county since there were 89 on Nov. 12. Genesee, as recently as Jan. 22, had 241 active cases.

Wyoming County today is reporting 68 actives cases, which is down from its pandemic high of 202 on Jan. 8. Wyoming was at 67 active cases on Friday, the lowest since 70 on Dec. 1 and 58 on Nov. 30.

Orleans reports 26 new Covid cases, Genesee 33 more since Friday

In its first update since Friday, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments today are reported 26 new positive cases in Orleans County and 33 more in Genesee.

In Orleans County the 26 new confirmed cases bring the total to 2,291 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, 50s, 60s and 70s.

Of the new cases, 6 were on quarantine prior to testing positive.

The new cases include 7 residents of The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab in Albion and 3 inmates at the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Albion.

“Orleans County is currently seeing an increase of positive cases in non-county regulated facilities, which is increasing the daily positivity rate,” the Health Departments said in an afternoon news briefing.

Orleans also is reporting 44 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized, the Health Departments said.

In Genesee County the 33 new positive cases bring the total to 3,958 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 0-19, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

Genesee is reporting 57 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee has 18 residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

Orleans County, however, has highest rate in Region

Information from Governor’s Office on seven-day positivity rate for the 10 regions of the state.

The Finger Lakes Region, which was a Covid hotspot in the state about a month ago, now has one of the lowest positivity rates in the state and has reduced the numbered of people hospitalized with Covid by more than half.

The Finger Lakes, which includes Orleans County, had a positivity rate for Covid-19 at 10.29 percent on Jan. 5. That was the seven-day average for percentage of tests that were positive for Covid.

The 7-day average was down to 3.22 percent on Friday, the third lowest of 10 regions in the state. The Southern Tier at 1.53 percent is the lowest and Long Island, at 5.57 percent, is the highest.

Statewide the 7-day positivity average ending Friday was at 4.58 percent, according to data from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office.

Although the positivity rate in the Finger Lakes Region is at 3.2 percent over the last 7 days, in Orleans County it’s at 7.2 percent the past week, the highest of the nine counties in the region.

The rates for the other counties include Genesee, 2.9 percent; Livingston, 5.8 percent; Monroe, 2.8 percent; Ontario, 3.3 percent; Seneca, 3.0 percent; Wayne, 3.2 percent; Wyoming, 6.1 percent; and Yates, 4.4 percent.

The Finger Lakes also led the state on Jan. 5 with the highest percentage of its population hospitalized due to Covid at 0.08 percent, which was double the state average. The Finger Lakes had 934 residents hospitalized with Covid on Jan. 5. A month later the region had 448 hospitalized with Covid or 0.04 percent of its population.

New York on Friday had 7,804 patients hospitalized statewide with Covid, the lowest since Dec. 27, Cuomo said.

There were 11,252 new Covid cases out of 261,285 tests, for a positivity rate of 4.31 percent. The state has now had 1,460,747 individuals test positive for Covid during the pandemic.

Cuomo also reported there were 158 more deaths from Covid, including one each in Orleans and Genesee counties. The state is now reporting 36,079 total deaths from Covid during the pandemic.

“New York’s positivity and hospitalization numbers continue to decline from the holiday surge, a reflection of the discipline New Yorkers have shown to defeat the virus,” Cuomo said in a statement. “The ultimate weapon to win the war is the vaccine and we are getting needles into arms every day, but we need more supply because we have the operational capacity to do much more. Super Bowl weekend is here and while the instinct may be to celebrate together, we cannot get cocky – we must continue doing the things we know are effective at taming the virus: wear a mask, adhere to social distancing, and avoid gatherings. We can beat this thing, but we must stay smart.”

Active cases in 2 counties drops from 292 a week ago to 222 today

Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 24 new confirmed cases for 6,190 since last March, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon in a news briefing.

The two counties also currently have 222 active cases, which is down from 292 a week ago.

In Orleans County there 13 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,265 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, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.

Of the new cases, 5 were on quarantine prior to testing positive. One of the new cases is an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Albion.

Orleans also is reporting 26 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. The number of active cases in the county has dropped from 127 to 111 in the past week.

Orleans also is reporting 3 of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Albion Central School reported a student from the High School has tested positive for Covid-19. The student is a hybrid learner and was last in the building on Jan. 21. Due to the 48-hour look-back period, the Department of Health determined there is no need to quarantine any additional students or staff, the district stated on its website.

Holley Central School is reporting that two students have tested positive for Covid-19. One student attends the Alternative HS program at the Elementary School, whose last day in-person was Jan. 22. The other attends the MS/HS, whose last day in-person was Feb. 4.

The health department has indicated that there is currently no additional quarantining required of other students or staff members due to close contact with these particular cases. These cases are not connected to the report from yesterday, Brian Bartalo, the district superintendent, said in a letter on the district website.

Medina Central School said today a middle school student tested positive. The Department of Health is working with the school district to identify any potential close contacts and is notifying families who may have to quarantine, Mark Kruzynski, the district superintendent, said in letter on the district website.

In Genesee County there are 11 new positive cases for a total of 3,925 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, 60s and 80s.

Genesee is reporting 30 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list. The number of active cases in the county has dropped from 165 to 111 in the past week.

Genesee has 18 residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

There has also been another Covid-related death reported in the county, bringing that total to 111 since last March.

“The individual was over the age of 65,” the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments stated. “We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time.”

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today released the list of comorbidities and underlying conditions that New York State will use to determine eligibility for the Covid-19 vaccine. New Yorkers who have one of the comorbidities on the list will be eligible for the vaccine beginning February 15.

“New Yorkers with comorbidities and underlying conditions exist throughout the state’s population—they’re our teachers, lawyers and carpenters, in addition to the doctors who keep us safe every day, and they are a highly affected population,” Cuomo said. “We’re committed to vaccinating vulnerable populations that have suffered the most as we distribute a strictly limited supply of vaccines, and people with comorbidities are 94 percent of the state’s Covid deaths. That’s why we’ll open eligibility to people with comorbidities starting February 15 and give hospitals the ability to use extra doses they have to address that population. Local governments have a week to prepare for the new change—they need to get ready now.”

The full list of comorbidities and underlying conditions is available below. The list is subject to change as additional scientific evidence is published and as New York State obtains and analyzes additional state-specific data.

Adults of any age with the following conditions due to increased risk of moderate or severe illness or death from the virus that causes Covid-19:

• Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)
• Chronic kidney disease
• Pulmonary Disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases
• Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities including Down Syndrome
• Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes
• Severe Obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), Obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2)
• Pregnancy
• Sickle cell disease or Thalassemia
• Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus
• Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain)
• Neurologic conditions including but not limited to Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia
• Liver disease

Orleans and Genesee counties combined are reporting 51 new cases of Covid-19 today, bringing the total to 6,166 in the two counties since last March, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

In Orleans County there are 33 new confirmed cases to report today for 2,252 cases since 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, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Of the new cases, 5 were on quarantine prior to testing positive.

The new confirmed cases include 7 residents at Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina, 3 residents at the Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab in Albion, and an inmate at the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Albion.

In Orleans County, 17 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county currently has 3 residents hospitalized due to Covid.

• Rapid Test Results: Orleans County conducted a drive-through rapid test clinic on Wednesday at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds in Knowlesville. There were 144 people tested and four were positive for Covid.

• Holley Central School is reporting three staff members in the Middle School/High School and one contracted employee who is assigned to the MS/HS have tested positive for Covid-19.

One of the staff members was last at school on Jan. 27, two on Feb. 2, and the fourth on Feb. 3.

The Health Department has indicated to district officials that there is no quarantining required for any students, due to these cases. The staff members who will be quarantined due to being close contacts of these individuals have been informed, Brian Bartalo, district superintendent, posted in a letter on the district website.

• Medina Central School is reporting two new Covid cases, a high school student and a middle school student. The Department of Health has determined that no further quarantines are required from the school district for both students, Mark Kruzynski, district superintendent, posted in a letter on the school website.

In Genesee County there are 18 new positive cases of Covid to report today for a total of 3,914 cases since last March.

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

Genesee is reporting 17 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 23 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Press Release, RESTORE

RESTORE Sexual Assault Services, a program of Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, is recruiting volunteers for an upcoming training cycle in early March.

There is an urgent need for volunteers in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

Volunteer Advocates are responsible for taking crisis phone calls from their home and providing information and advocacy to sexual assault survivors at a hospital or police station. Volunteers offer support, information and resources to survivors of sexual violence and their loved ones. The time commitment is flexible, and at the volunteer’s discretion. All applicants will be screened and must complete 32 hours of training prior to beginning their volunteer commitment.

The training will take place in a virtual setting, with optional in-person hybrid sessions, depending on Volunteers’ comfort level. All RESTORE services are dynamically responding to the changing Covid-19 protocols and using a variety of communication methods, depending on the needs and comfort level of the survivor.

Those interested in volunteering for RESTORE must be at least 20 years of age, have reliable transportation, and be comfortable working with those in a crisis situation.

For further information about volunteering with RESTORE, email restore@ppcwny.org.

RESTORE leads the community response to sexual violence through advocacy and education, by providing the safety, support and validation that changes the lives of all those affected.

RESTORE 24-hour hotlines: 585-546-2777 (Monroe County) and 1-800-527-1757 (Livingston, Wyoming, Orleans and Genesee Counties).

2 more deaths reported in Genesee County from Covid

There are 50 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today in Genesee and Orleans counties, the G-O County health Departments said this afternoon.

In Orleans County there are 30 new positive cases for a total of 2,219 confirmed 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, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Of the new cases 4 were on quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.

Orleans also is reporting 10 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are four county residents currently hospitalized due to Covid-19.

The new confirmed cases include 7 residents at Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina, one at  the Villages of Orleans Health & Rehab in Albion, and one is an inmate at the Albion Correctional Facility, a women’s prison.

Albion Central School is reporting that two students from the high school have tested positive for Covid-19.

One of the students is a fully remote learner so the Department of Health determined there is no need to quarantine any additional students or staff.

The second student is a hybrid learner and was last in the building on Jan. 22. Due to the 48-hour look-back period, the Department of Health determined there is no need to quarantine any additional students or staff, the district state don its website.

In Genesee County there are 20 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for a total of 3,896 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, 60s and 70s.

Genesee is reporting 21 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are 22 Genesee residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

There are also two more deaths from Covid-19 in Genesee for 109 total during the pandemic. The two deaths reported today include a community member over age 65 and a resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center who was over the age of 65.

Rapid Test Results: Genesee County conducted a drive-through rapid test clinic on Tuesday. Out of the 290 tested, 14 were positive for Covid.

Orleans receives 500 vaccine doses this week, but needs many more to meet demand

Orleans County has 500 Covid-19 vaccine doses this week, with the doses split up among the Health Department, Orleans Community Health, and some local pharmacies and healthcare providers.

The county is projected to get a 16 percent increase next week in the vaccine, Public Health Director Paul Pettit said, but the amount is still far short to meet the expanded eligibility groups. (Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday said the 1B vaccine prioritization group eligibility could be expanded to restaurant workers, taxi drivers, and developmentally disabled facilities.)

“The supply is still nowhere near the amount we need for all of the eligible groups,” Pettit said on Tuesday evening in a conference call with local government officials.

The local vaccines are currently are being administered through pharmacies (people 65 and older); Orleans Community Health/Medina Memorial Hospital doing healthcare workers, people in the 1A group and some residents 65 and older; and the Health Department, which is targeting essential workers.

Gov. Cuomo on Tuesday said he received assurances from the federal government the supply to the state would be increased by 20 percent the next three weeks.

“That is a good sign with more vaccine starting to flow,” Pettit said.

The Health Department will have a vaccine clinic on Thursday at the Ridgeway Fire Hall from 1 to 4 p.m. Those slots are currently filled. Pettit sympathized with residents who keep checking for vaccine appointments but they tend to be full.

“It’s very challenging,” Pettit said. “Once they are posted, they’re immediately gone.”

The public health director said it could take several months to have work through all the eligible groups, which will continue to expand.

“This will be a prolonged event over the next three, four, five, six months,” Pettit said.

The county will need many volunteers for the vaccine clinics, which will likely be expanded to other days in the week once there is more vaccine.

Justin Niederhofer, deputy director of the Orleans County Emergency Management Agency, is coordinating the personnel for the clinics.

“We are looking for more volunteers,” he said. “We’re going to be in that for the long haul.”

Emergency Management can be reached at (585) 589-4414.

Cuomo in an update on Tuesday said about 1.7 million vaccine doses have been administered so far in the state – 1,414,241 first doses and 321,204 second doses. That state has about 19 million residents.

“We’re in a footrace to vaccinate the entire eligible population while continuing to keep the infection rate low,” Cuomo said. “We’re moving heaven and earth to administer as many doses as possible, but on a global level we are experiencing high demand and scarce amounts of the vaccine. We have much more distribution in place than we have supply, and as soon as we have more doses from the federal government we can get those shots in the arms of New Yorkers as quickly and fairly, while continuing to make sure the communities hardest hit have access to and trust in the vaccine.”

Agency recognizes other staff for milestone anniversaries

By Mike Pettinella, GCASA Publicist

Ask any of Amy Klos’ coworkers or supervisors and they’ll all say the same thing when it comes to the 21-year employee’s job performance at Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse: She’s the one that holds things together.

Amy Klos

“Amy is always available to us no matter what is happening, she can multitask better than anyone and she always gets the job done well,” said Shannon Murphy, director of treatment at the Batavia clinic on East Main Street. “Amy truly cares about every staff member and our patients, and on most days, she is the glue.”

Murphy’s glowing assessment reflects the commitment and dedication that Klos has provided to the agency since starting as a secretary at its former Growney building location at Bank Street and Washington Avenue in 1999.

Since then, she has taken on more responsibility and, just recently, was promoted to the position of customer relations manager for GCASA’s Batavia and Albion clinics as well as the Opioid Treatment Program facility in Batavia.

A lifelong Oakfield resident, Klos found her way to GCASA after receiving a two-year degree from Central City Business Institute in Syracuse in the mid-1980s and working at the office of Dr. Yeong Lee, a Batavia pediatrician.

“I found out about the GCASA job from women who worked there and took their children to Dr. Lee,” she said. “They told me that they were in need of a secretary at GCASA, they posed the question and checked it out.”

Klos said she and two or three others worked in the front office (located in the basement of the Growney building) checking clients in, answering the telephone and verifying health insurance.

“I worked there for about 10 years before moving to the agency’s current location on East Main Street,” she said. “John Bennett was running the outpatient clinic – he now is GCASA’s executive director – and I was his secretary and also worked in the front office at the same time.”

As time passed, Klos moved into the director of treatment secretary position while continuing to assist the support staff, and in the late 2000s, she was elevated to supervisor of the Batavia office, overseeing a half-dozen employees.

“The agency was expanding at that time – the numbers in the clinic were increasing and the opioid epidemic also hit, which increased our workload and productivity,” Klos said, “and along with that came changes to policies and procedures.”

Three years ago, Klos was promoted to supervisor of the treatment and OTP (methadone) clinics and now has added an oversight role at the Albion clinic.

She said she is tasked with getting everyone on the same page, so to speak.

“Generally, the responsibilities across the clinics are very similar, so we’re trying to make all three offices the same as far as protocols and policies,” she explained. “There are some slight differences depending upon the doctor you’re working with, the day of the week and the prescribed dosage.”

Klos is a key player in the integration of services and procedures and, when at full strength, she is supervising eight full-time and part-time secretaries.

She said the best thing about GCASA is the “teamwork” displayed by the staff, which, by the way, includes her daughter, Katie, a nurse.

“The employees here help each other out and it’s great to know that people have your back. And it’s also nice to know that you can help people,” Klos said. “Change happens frequently but no matter what, you still have the basics. You have to remember to say please and thank you. That goes a long way and too many people don’t realize that.”

Klos said she strives to make a positive impact upon clients’ lives.

“When people are struggling, giving them a helping hand really does make a difference. I say to patients all the time, “I’m here if you want the help. If you don’t want the help, that’s up to you, but we’re here to help you 100 percent along the way.’”

When not on duty, Klos is keeping an eye on her mom, Ann Perfitt, who lives across the street from her in the village; joins in her husband as they “flip houses” on the weekends, enjoys outdoor activities and has fun with the family dog, Sam.

Murphy said she hopes Klos stays with the agency for another 20 years.

“Personally, I have had the pleasure of working next to Amy for over 15 years. She is diligent, smart and able to do her job while truly caring about everyone involved,” Murphy said. “I cannot imagine what I would do without her right next to me and as my friend. She truly is loved by all.”

In other GCASA news, the following employees were recognized recently for their longevity with the company:

• 5 years – Brenda Post, QA/corporate compliance officer, Genesee County Clinic; Shandi Temperato, chemical dependency counselor, Orleans County Clinic.

• 10 years – Diana Fulcomer, prevention educator, Orleans Prevention Program; Cherlyne Gerould, payroll manager, Genesee County Administration.

• 15 years – Sherri Bensley, assistant director of prevention, Orleans Prevention Program; Nick Mardino, maintenance, Orleans County Clinic.

• 20 years – Cyndi Mardino, secretary, Orleans County Clinic; Stephanie Nadolinski, house manager, Atwater Community Residential Program.

• 30 years – Kim Corcoran, human resources/administrative assistant, Genesee County Administration.

Orleans County today is reporting 25 more new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 2,189 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, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

Of the new cases, two are residents at the Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center in Albion and two inmates at the Orleans Correctional Facility, a men’s prison in Albion.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are also reporting four of the new positive individuals were on quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans also is reporting 11 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are also four residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Albion Central School reports an elementary school staff member has tested positive for Covid-19. The staff member was last in school on Jan. 29.

Students and staff members deemed to have been in close contact with the individual have been identified by the district and anyone needing to quarantine has been contacted by the Department of Health, the district stated on its website.

Holley Central School reported on Monday that a Middle/High School staff member tested positive for Covid-19. The last day this person was in the district was Jan. 29.

The Health Department has indicated to us that there will be no quarantining required of any students or staff members due to close contact with this individual at the school.

In Genesee County there are 9 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 3,876 positive cases since 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, 30s, 50s, 60s and 80s.

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

There are currently 20 Genesee County residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Genesee and Orleans counties are each hosting rapid test clinics for Covid-19 this week. There are spots open.

Genesee County is offering the testing today from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at the Genesee County Emergency Management/Fire Training Center, 7690 State Street Rd. in Batavia. As of 10:30 a.m., there were 122 spots open for the free tests. Click here for more information.

Orleans County will have the testing clinic on Wednesday from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Orleans County 4-H Fairgrounds on Route 31 in Knowlesville. There were 203 spots available at 10:30 a.m. today. Click here for more information.

Those getting tested should fill out the Rapid Covid-19 Test Intake Form. If you are filling out the form, complete it, print it out and bring it with you. Click here for the form.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments expect to stop doing the rapid test clinics to devote more resources to Covid-19 vaccination clinics as the supply of doses increases.

Genesee and Orleans top 6,000 confirmed Covid cases during pandemic

Orleans County has three more deaths from Covid, with two people under age 65 and one over 65, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this evening.

According to state fatality data, Orleans now has 78 deaths from Covid and Genesee is at 107.

One of the deaths reported today was a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina. The individual was under the age of 65, the Health Departments said.

“We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individuals and their families,” the Health Departments said in a statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these individuals at this very sad time.”

Orleans County also is reporting 36 new positive cases of Covid-19 today in the first update since Friday afternoon. That puts the total cases in the county at 2,164 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, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

Five of the new positive individuals are residents at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina and one is a resident at the Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion. Of the 36 new cases, 7 were on quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans also is reporting 56 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

The county has four residents currently hospitalized due to Covid.

Albion Central School reported an elementary staff member tested positive for Covid-19. As the staff member was last in school on Jan. 22, the Department of Health has determined there is no need to quarantine any additional students or staff due to the 48-hour look-back period, the district stated on its website.

In Genesee County, there are 46 new positive cases for a total of 3,867 cases since last March.

Combined Orleans and Genesee now have passed 6,000 cases (6,031) in the two counties. Orleans has 40,352 people, according to the 2019 Census estimate, and Genesee is at 57,280, according to the 2019 Census estimate. The 6,031 cases represent 6.2 percent of the combined population of 97,632.

The new positive cases in Genesee 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 50 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are 20 Genesee residents hospitalized due to Covid.

Active Cases: The number of active cases in the two counties declined from 292 on Friday to 249 today. That includes Orleans County dropping below 100, from 127 to 98. Genesee is down from 165 on Friday to 151 today.

Finger Lakes positivity rate drops below 4 percent

This chart from the Governor’s Office shows each region’s 7-day average percentage of positive test results over the last three days.

In the Finger Lakes, the 7-day average for positive tests dropped below 4 percent on Saturday to 3.92. At the beginning of the month, the region’s positivity rate was over 10 percent.

The nine-county region also has 542 people hospitalized due to Covid. That is more than 400 fewer than the 964 on Dec. 28.

Locally, among the GLOW counties, here are the percent positive in the past 7 days:

• Genesee, 4.5 percent
• Livingston, 4.1 percent
• Orleans, 6.2 percent
• Wyoming, 7.4 percent

This is the percent positive in the past 14 days:

• Genesee, 5.2 percent
• Livingston, 5.4 percent
• Orleans, 6.1 percent
• Wyoming, 8.4 percent

Statewide the positivity rate is at 4.44 percent. It was at 7.45 percent on Jan. 1. There were also 7,976 patient hospitalizations statewide on Saturday. The hospitalizations were at 9,273 on Jan. 19.

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that the state 7-day average Covid-19 positivity rate has declined for 23 straight days.

“We’ve dealt with a holiday surge driven by increased social activity, the surge is reducing, and the state’s 7-day average positivity rate has declined for 23 straight days, which is a significant trend,” Cuomo said. “As we continue to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as supply will allow, with our expansive distribution network ready to vaccinate significantly more people, it’s critical that New Yorkers stay safe. All the models show a continued reduction, and so we’ve been able to loosen restrictions with micro-clusters, the orange zones, and New York City indoor dining. In the here and now, the news is very good, but keep an eye on the U.K. variants and the other variants because all of them suggest more diligence will be needed.”

2 counties report 3 more Covid-19 deaths

Orleans County is reporting 8 new positive cases of Covid-19 total, which is a rare day in the past two months when the county wasn’t in double digits for new cases. Orleans has now had 2,128 people test positive for Covid 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 70s.

Of the new cases, 2 were on quarantine prior to testing positive. One of the cases also is a resident at the Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina.

The county also is reporting 20 of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

There are currently 7 residents hospitalized due to Covid.

There are currently 127 actives cases in the county, which is down from 167 a week ago.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting another death from Orleans due to Covid. The person is over age 65. Orleans is reporting five deaths from Covid since a week ago and 76 during the pandemic due to Covid.

“We will not be reporting any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family,” the Health Departments stated in a news briefing this afternoon in announcing the death. “We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time.”

• Medina Central School is reporting four students tested positive for Covid, with two in the high school and two in the middle school.

With the four students, the Health Department is working with the school district to identify any potential close contacts and is notifying families who may have to quarantine, according to a letter on the district website from Mark Kruzynski, Medina’s district superintendent.

In Genesee County there are 46 new positive cases for a total of 3,821 confirmed cases since 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, 80s and 90s.

The new cases include a resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center and a resident of Premier Genesee in Batavia.

The county is reporting 39 more of the previous positive individuals have recovered and been removed from the isolation list.

Genesee currently has 165 active cases which is down by 76 from the 241 a week ago.

The county also is reporting 21 residents are hospitalized due to Covid.

Genesee also has two more Covid-related deaths, who are both over the age of 65 and were residents of the LeRoy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility. The county had six Covid-related deaths since a week ago and now has had 107 residents pass away due to Covid since last March, according to the Health Department data.

Corrections from the G-O Health Departments: The following two cases previously identified as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility were double counted and have been retracted from today’s data: a case in his/her 80s and a case in his/her 60s. Two other cases previously reported as residents of the Leroy Village Green Residential Healthcare Facility are community members and have been retracted from today’s data.

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

Statewide Data: There were 12,579 new positive cases in the state reported on Thursday out of 270,518 tests for a positivity rate of 4.65 percent.

There were 8,357 people hospitalized due to Covid, which is down by 163 from Wednesday. There were also 151 deaths, bringing the total to 34,893.

Governor Andrew Cuomo today announced that assuming New York State’s Covid-19 infection rate stays on its current trajectory, indoor dining in New York City can reopen at 25 percent capacity on Valentine’s Day.

Cuomo also announced that marriage receptions will be able to resume in accordance with state guidance on March 15. Events must be approved by the local health department. There will be a 50 percent capacity limit and no more than 150 people can attend the event. All patrons must be tested prior to the event.

“As data on infection rates and hospitalizations continue to improve, we must begin taking steps to jumpstart our economic recovery as long as public health can be protected,” Cuomo said.