Orleans not yet listed in one of the 3 zones that have restrictions, testing requirements

Editor’s Note: This article was updated from an earlier version that said Orleans County was in a new yellow zone that is precautionary and has restrictions to help slow the spread of Covid-19.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced new micro-cluster metrics today that ranks counties in four tiers, based on their population size. Orleans County is in the fourth tier with counties less than 50,000 people. (Other Tier 4 counties include Allegany, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Greene, Hamilton, Lewis, Montgomery, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Tioga, Wyoming and Yates counties.)

Small counties in Tier 4 will be in the yellow zone if they have a 7-day rolling average positivity above 4% for 10 days and if the geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on 7-day average.

Orleans, which has a population of about 42,883 people in the 2010 census, has 23 new cases in the past seven days. The county has reported 18 new Covid cases since Monday, with eight on Monday, four on Tuesday and six more today.

“We have what we believe is the most sophisticated Covid detection and elimination system of any state because we’ve spent time, we’ve invested and because New Yorkers are invested,” Cuomo said today. “What’s the best you can do? Detect the smallest outbreak as soon as it happens. Trace it back to where it starts, find a small outbreak or cluster, and jump on it.”

Identifying and Implementing Focus Zone 

Daily data monitoring enables the state to identify areas that are experiencing a concerning increase in Covid spread, Cuomo said.

Once an area meets certain metrics – detailed below – that demonstrate substantial spread, it may be designated a focus zone.

• Red Zone — Micro-Cluster: A “Red Zone” focus area is put in place to contain spread from a specific, defined geographic area.

• Orange Zone — Warning/Buffer: An Orange Zone area either is put in place primarily in densely populated urban areas as a tight buffer zone around a Red Zone micro-cluster (“Orange Buffer Zone”) area or is implemented independently as a focus area based on metrics.

The purpose of an Orange Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict activity to prevent further spread from Red Zone area; 2) provide a defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone.

• Yellow Zone — Precautionary/Buffer: A “Yellow Zone” area either is put in place as a broader buffer area to ensure Covid outbreak is not spreading into the broader community or is implemented independently based on the metrics.

The purpose of a Yellow Buffer Zone is to 1) restrict some activity to help prevent further spread from Red and/or Orange Warning Zone area; 2) provide a larger defined geographic area where metrics can be monitored daily to ensure Covid is not spreading beyond the Red Zone or Orange Warning Zone.

The restrictions for the three cluster zones include:

Red Zone — Cluster Itself

• Houses of Worship: 25 percent capacity, 10 people maximum
• Mass Gatherings: Prohibited
• Businesses: Only essential businesses open
• Dining: Takeout only
• Schools: Closed, remote only

Orange Zone — Warning Zone

• Houses of Worship: 33 percent capacity, 25 people maximum
• Mass Gatherings: 10 people maximum, indoor and outdoor
• Businesses: Closing high-risk non-essential businesses, such as gyms and personal care
• Dining: Outdoor dining only, 4 person maximum per table
• Schools: Closed, remote only

Yellow Zone — Precautionary Zone

• Houses of Worship: 50 percent capacity
• Mass Gatherings: 25 people maximum, indoor and outdoor
• Businesses: Open
• Dining: Indoor and outdoor dining, 4 person maximum per table
• Schools: Open with mandatory weekly testing of students and teachers/staff for in-person settings with percentage of students and teachers to be tested to be established by the New York State Department of Health.

A county or area can be downgraded in zone designation or have the designation ended if the positivity data, cases per capita, and daily hospital admissions over a 14 day period go down, showing there are no signs of broader spread from the focus area that prompted the zone creation.

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Orleans County is reporting six new cases of Covid-19 today, including a student at the Ronald L. Sodoma Elementary School in Albion.

The student was not in school 48 hours prior to becoming symptomatic and testing positive, and there is no identified direct school contact, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said.

The individual is under mandatory isolation and will remain there until fully recovered. Contact tracing has been initiated to determine potential close contacts in the community.

Scott Bischoping, the Albion district superintendent, said the student was last in the elementary school building on Oct. 13. He said there is no need to quarantine staff or other students.

All six of the new cases reported today are Albion residents. The age groups of the new cases include three who are 0-19 years old, two in their 40s, and one in the 50s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans County has now had 362 people test positive for Covid-19 since March, including 18 so far this week with 8 on Monday, 4 on Tuesday and 6 today.

The county also has 3 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County has 3 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the county’s total to 348 positive cases since March.

The new positive cases reside in Batavia and Pembroke. One of the positive individuals is an inmate at the Buffalo Federal Detention Facility.

One of the new cases is in the 40s, one is in the 50s, and the other is in the 60s. None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Genesee also is reporting two more recoveries from Covid and those individuals have been released from mandatory isolation.

Five more people from Genesee also are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.

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Rotary members will be riding bikes, walking and jogging to raise money for polio vaccinations

File photo by Tom Rivers: Don Bishop, shown in this photo from April 2018 in his dental office, is leading an effort to raise money for polio vaccinations. His mother contracted polio when she was 34 and died two years later after being paralyzed from the neck down.

ALBION – Some members of the Albion Rotary Club will be riding bikes, walking and jogging this week in an effort to raise money to fight polio.

That virus which causes paralysis isn’t in the news much these days. But it still remains in the world, with cases recently detected in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Rotary has made fighting polio an international mission and a major worldwide effort has brought down the cases from an estimated 350,000 in 1988 to 33 in 2018, according to the World Health Organization.

Don Bishop, a retired Albion dentist, knows personally how devastating polio can be. His mother Harriett contracted polio at age 34 in 1955. She was paralyzed from the neck down for two years and died at age 36 after getting pneumonia.

His mother was in an iron lung machine to stimulate breathing in the polio ward at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

“I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what my family did in the ’50s,” Bishop said.

Bishop, a member of the Albion Rotary Club, suspects his mother contracted the virus while swimming in a quarry in Westchester County, where he grew up. His sister also has polio which has weakened her right wrist.

Rotary District 7090, which includes about 70 Rotary Clubs in WNY and Canada, is trying to raise $200,000 to fight polio, which is nearly eradicated but recent cases have been found in Afghanistan, Nigeria and Pakistan.

Bishop has been the longtime leader of the Polio Plus effort in the Albion Rotary Club, raising money for the polio vaccinations.

He will be riding his bike 25 miles this week, covering distance between Holley and Spencerport. He has sponsors in a lump sum and others giving him money for each mile.

Other Rotary Club members will also be riding bikes, walking and jogging on their own and not in a group. (Orleans Hub editor Tom Rivers plans to run 10 miles from Holley to Albion for the cause.)

The Rotary Club has cancelled most of its events and fundraisers due to the Covid-19 pandemic. That includes a St. Patrick’s ham dinner back in March, the Strawberry Festival in June and a fishing derby in August.

Marlee Diehl, the club president, challenged the local Rotarians to be part of the 7090 Rotary District effort to raise $200,000 for polio. That money will be tripled with a 2-to-1 match from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, turning the $200,000 into $600,000. District 7090 includes about 70 Rotary Clubs in Western New York and Southern Ontario.

 ‘We have to stay vigilant. Polio can start up again if it’s not watched.’ – Don Bishop

Diehl said it has been a great achievement for Rotary and the international community to drastically reduce polio in the world. But she said the health organizations and Rotary need to keep the pressure on and get vaccinations where polio remains.

“If we shift our attention away from it, it will be back,” Diehl said. “It’s only a plane ride away.”

She remembers getting vaccinated in the 1950s at school in Canada. At the time, there was grave concern in the U.S. and Canada about polio.

“We can’t give up until it’s gone,” she said.

Courtesy of Rotary International: Rotary helps bring vaccinations to the remaining areas where polio is still detected.

Bishop, who worked 37 years as a dentist in Albion, was 7 when his mother contracted polio. He went to visit her every weekend in New York City the next two years. He said his mother learned to paint holding a brush with her teeth. She remained upbeat in the polio ward, trying to encourage the other patients.

“She was paralyzed from the neck down, but she was always trying to cheer people up,” Bishop said.

The Rotary Club bestows a Paul Harris Fellow as its highest honor, named for the Rotary founder. The Albion club has given that award in memory of Bishop’s mother.

“We have to stay vigilant,” Bishop said about the fight against polio. “Nothing is ever a gimme in this world. Polio can start up again if it’s not watched.”

People interested in donating can contact Diehl at (585) 755-4334 or they can send a check to Albion Rotary Club with “Polio” in the subject line, P.O. Box 356, Albion NY 14411.

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Orleans County is reporting four new cases of Covid-19 today, following eight more on Monday.

The new positive cases are residents in Albion, Murray, Ridgeway and Shelby. The individuals are in the following age groups: 0-19 years old, 20s, 40s and 60s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. One of the new positive individuals is under mandatory isolation out of state, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.

Orleans has now had 356 people test positive for Covid-19 since March.

Three new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County doesn’t has any new confirmed cases and remains at 345 since March.

Genesee also has two more people who have recovered and been released from mandatory isolation.

Genesee also has 14 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are 39 active cases in the three counties with 7 in Genesee, 17 in Orleans and 15 in Wyoming.

Reminders from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:

• Flu Season: With flu season quickly approaching it is important to get your flu shots now to build up immunity. It generally takes two weeks before immunity is built up after getting the shot. Once you have the flu vaccine, if you do get the flu, research shows that the vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness. Getting a flu vaccine can save healthcare resources for the care of patients with Covid-19 and other illnesses.

• Testing: If you are being tested for Covid-19 it is important that you self-quarantine until you get your test results whether you have symptoms or not. If you are symptomatic, meaning you are coughing, have a fever or other symptoms, self-quarantine even if you are an essential worker until you get your results back. If you have Covid-19 you may be spreading it. That means to stay home and limit contact with other people, even in your household.

• Gathering Size: According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all non-essential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason (graduation parties, celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. religious gatherings), are allowed. So long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed.

• Nursing Home Visitation: As of Sept. 15, the state is requiring the nursing home facilities to have visitors provide proof of negative Covid-19 test results within seven days of visit. To find a testing site nearest you, click here or call 1-888-364-3065. Click here to view the guidance for skilled nursing facility visitation.

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Non-essential interstate travel discouraged with Pennsylvania, Connecticut and New Jersey

Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Arizona and Maryland have been added to New York’s Covid-19 travel advisory. No areas have been removed.

The advisory requires individuals who have traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

Neighboring states Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania now meet the criteria for the travel advisory. However, given the interconnected nature of the region and mode of transport between us, a quarantine on these states is not practically viable. That said, New York State highly discourages, to the extent practical, non-essential travel to and from these states while they meet the travel advisory criteria.

“We are now in a situation where 43 states (and territories) meet the criteria for our travel advisory. This is really a bizarre outcome, considering New York once had the highest infection rate,” Governor Cuomo said. “There is no practical way to quarantine New York from Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Connecticut.

“There are just too many interchanges, interconnections, and people who live in one place and work in the other,” Cuomo said. “It would have a disastrous effect on the economy, and remember while we’re fighting this public health pandemic we’re also fighting to open up the economy. However, to the extent travel between the states is not essential, it should be avoided.”

The full list of 41 states and two territories on the travel advisory now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

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County also has 13 more recoveries

Orleans County has eight more confirmed cases of Covid-19 since Friday, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this afternoon.

The new positive cases are residents in Albion, Kent and Murray. None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

The new cases are in the following age groups: one in the 0-19 age range, two in their 30s, one in the 40s, three in their 50s and one in the 60s.

Orleans has now had 352 people test positive for Covid-19 since March. Thirteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation, the Health Departments reported.

Orleans also has 10 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County doesn’t have any new positive cases of Covid-19, maintaining a total of 345 positive cases since March.

The county is reporting new recoveries and those people and have been released from mandatory isolation.

Genesee has 8 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 37 active cases in the three counties with nine in Orleans, 13 in Genesee and 15 in Wyoming.

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ALBION – Oak Orchard Health now has medical staff working three days a week out of the Orleans County Mental Health Building on Route 31, next to the County Administration Building.

Oak Orchard will have a physician’s assistant and a medical doctor available on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on the number of patients.

Oak Orchard Health is partnering with the Orleans County Mental Health to bring primary care services to the county’s behavioral health patients. Oak Orchard’s new office in the Mental Health building makes it convenient for patients to get the medical care they could be missing.

“Good physical health and mental health go hand in hand,” said Mary Ann Pettibon, CEO of Oak Orchard Health. “This comprehensive approach to care is needed in the community and we’re pleased to collaborate with the Orleans County Mental Health Department. So often these patients don’t have a primary care physician and haven’t been receiving the kind of medical care they need.”

To make an appointment with Oak Orchard, call (585) 589-5613.

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Student tests positive at BOCES in Batavia

Orleans County is reporting one new confirmed case of Covid-19 today, a resident of Shelby who is in the 0-19 age group.

The individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, said the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Orleans has now had 344 people test positive for Covid-19 since March.

Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation, bringing the total recoveries in the community to 164.

Orleans also is reporting 3 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County doesn’t have any new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today, and remains at 345 positive cases since March.

The Health Departments, however, are reporting a student at the Genesee Valley Area Partnership who attended the BOCES site in Batavia has tested positive for Covid.

“The individual has been placed under mandatory isolation where they will remain until they are fully recovered,” The Health Departments said. “Contact tracing is in process. Individuals identified by the health department as being close contacts have been and/or will be contacted and placed under mandatory quarantine. Individuals identified by the health department as being close contacts will be expected to follow the New York State Department of Health quarantine guidelines.”

Genesee also is reporting two more Covid recoveries and those people have been released from mandatory isolation. Genesee now has 266 recoveries in the community from Covid.

Genesee also has 25 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

In the past week, Orleans reported 18 more confirmed cases of Covid while Genesee has 10 more.

To see an online map of confirmed in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.

More from the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments:

• Flu Season: With flu season quickly approaching it is important to get your flu shots now to build up immunity. It generally takes two weeks before immunity is built up after getting the shot.

Once you have the flu vaccine, if you do get the flu, research shows that the vaccination reduces the risk of severe illness. Getting a flu vaccine can save healthcare resources for the care of patients with COVID-19 and other illnesses. Talk with your primary care provider today.

• Traveler Health Form: For all out-of-state or international travelers from NYS restricted states or countries, whether arriving by land or air, must self-identify by completing a traveler health form or be subject to a $2,000 fine. Click here for the traveler health form.

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Orleans and Genesee counties each are reporting four new confirmed cases of Covid-19 today.

In Orleans, the new positive cases are residents of Albion and Carlton. The individuals are in their 20s, 40s and 50s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Orleans has now had 343 people test positive for Covid since March.

The county also is reporting another recovery in the community, bringing that total to 162.

There are also 4 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County’s new positive cases reside in Batavia and Pembroke.

One of the new cases is a person between the ages of 0-20, while another is in the 30s, another in the 50s, and someone in the 60s.

None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said in an afternoon briefing to the media.

Genesee has now had 345 people test positive for Covid-19.

“We are diligently working on reporting the numbers from the previous days,” the Health Departments said. “A complete count will be reflective on the GOW Covid interactive map by Friday. Thank you for your ongoing patience.”

To see the interactive map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.

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ALBION – The Orleans County Sheriff’s Office will be hosting a National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

This time it will be a drive-through only event at the Orleans County Public Safety Building, 13925 State Route 31. Participants are encouraged to wear a face covering at the event.

This is a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of Justice – Drug Enforcement Administration, the Orleans County Sheriff’s Office and the Orleans County Public Health Department.

This is a great opportunity for the public to surrender unwanted and/or expired medications and sharps for safe & proper disposal,” said Sheriff Chris Bourke.

“Events such as these have dramatically reduced the risk of prescription drug diversion and abuse, as well as increasing awareness of this critical public health issue,” Bourke said.

This will be the only authorized collection site in Orleans County on National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day.

“We apologize for the inconvenience of not having additional collection locations for this event,” Bourke said.

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Genesee has 5 new cases since Monday

Orleans County was notified today of two more confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total to 339 people who have tested positive for Covid since March.

The new positive cases are both Albion residents. One of the individuals is in the 20s, and the other is in the 30s. Both of the individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

Orleans has 15 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Genesee County continues to have ongoing technology/internet issues, and can’t offer a full update in Covid cases since Friday.

However, the Health Department is able to report there was one new case on Monday, two more on Tuesday and two more new cases today.

Since Oct. 9, Genesee has 37 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.

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New York has added Ohio, Michigan and Virginia to the list of states on a Covid-19 travel advisory.

No states have been removed. There are now 36 states on the advisory.

The advisory requires individuals who have traveled to New York from areas with significant community spread to quarantine for 14 days. The quarantine applies to any person arriving from an area with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents over a 7-day rolling average or an area with a 10 percent or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

The full list of 36 states and two territories on the travel advisory now includes: Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.

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Orleans County is reporting 11 new positive case of Covid-19 today in the first update since Friday. The county has now had 337 people test positive for Covid since March.

The new positive cases are residents of Albion, Barre, Carlton, Shelby and Yates. The new cases are people in the following age groups: 0 to 19 years, 20s, 30s and 50s, according to the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

Five of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine when they tested positive. Six of the other cases were people not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.

Orleans also has 10 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.

The G-O Health Departments aren’t able to provide an update on confirmed cases in Genesee County today due to technology/internet issues.

“Those numbers will be updated tomorrow,” the Health Departments said. “We apologize for the inconvenience.”

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Press Release, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced that Covid-19 rapid result testing will be made available to every county in New York State.

The New York State Department of Health will deploy an initial 400,000 rapid result test kits free of charge to local health departments, hospitals, pharmacies, and other health care providers to help increase access in all corners of New York State to free Covid-19 tests that can be done within 15 minutes and without having to send a specimen to a lab.

DOH will prioritize the distribution of testing kits to counties and local health care providers in areas seeing recent uptick in cases. The rapid tests can be used to control new outbreaks, conduct surveillance testing, and will also be made available on a as needed basis to help schools in “yellow zones” test students and staff as part of new requirements to monitor Covid-19 spread as part of the Governor’s Cluster Action Initiative.

“These rapid test kits will allow health care institutions throughout the state to quickly and accurately determine COVID-19’s spread, control outbreaks and keep families and communities safe,” Cuomo said. “Further, the state is taking precautionary steps to ensure localities are providing rapid testing for schools that are nearby communities that have seen recent upticks in cases and are offering in-person instruction. We will provide rapid test kits, as needed, free of charge to all localities to help them meet this new requirement, giving parents, teachers, and students confidence in the safety of their educational experiences.”

On Tuesday, as part of the state’s Cluster Action Initiative, the Governor announced that schools open to in-person instruction in “Yellow Zones” would be required to test a portion of their in-person students, staff, and teachers at least once a week.

The NYS Dept. of Health today is issuing guidance requiring 20% of students, teachers, and staff who are in-person in schools located within “Yellow Zones” to be tested once a week starting next Friday, October 16. All results must be reported promptly to DOH and will be made available on the Covid Report Card dashboard.

As needed, the state will provide rapid test kits free of charge to local governments, health departments, schools, or whichever local health providers are designated by the local government, to help localities and schools meet this requirement which is a key part of ensuring Covid-19 does not spread into schools within nearly geographic proximity to where the state is monitoring cluster outbreaks.

DOH will issue a letter today to all local health departments, as well as hospitals, pharmacies, and other provider organizations, providing details for how to access and receive these rapid testing kits.

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