By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 13 October 2020 at 7:46 pm
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.”
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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 9 October 2020 at 4:37 pm
2 counties top 50,000 tests combined
Orleans and Genesee counties are each reporting one new confirmed case of Covid-19 today.
In Orleans, the new case is a person in the 40s who lives in Ridgeway. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, said the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments.
Orleans has now had 326 people test positive for Covid since March. The county also has 2 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
In Genesee County, the new confirmed case is a person in the 20s from Elba. The individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. The county has now had 335 people test positive for Covid since March.
The county is also reporting 16 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. One Genesee resident also is hospitalized with Covid.
Since a week ago Friday, Orleans County has eight more confirmed cases of Covid-19 while Genesee has 21 more.
The two counties crossed a milestone today with 50,000 combined Covid tests since March. There have been 50,312 tests in Genesee and Orleans, with 661 people testing positive for a rate of 1.31 percent in two counties
In Genesee, there have been 32,925 tests and 335 cases for a positive rate of 1.02 percent. In Orleans, there have been 17,387 tests and 326 cases for a positive rate of 1.87 percent.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• Due to the Columbus Day holiday, both the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be closed on Monday. There will be no map, website or media updates over the weekend or on Monday. Updates will resume on Tuesday and will include all accumulated data. Stay safe, stay distanced and wear your masks to continue to slow the spread. Thank you for your understanding.
• Community Testing Sites: Check with the testing site for any specific criteria necessary for testing such as illness, contact with someone who tested positive, essential worker, required for reopening/business, etc. Many need to have a doctor referral/prescription. Always call first. To find additional test sites nearest you, please click here.
WellNow Urgent Care: 4189 Veterans Memorial Drive Batavia; 585-201-5598
Rochester Regional Health Urgent Care: 16 Bank Street Batavia; 585- 815-6715
Oak Orchard Health: 301 West Ave Albion, NY; 585-589-5613
• Covid Alert NY is New York State’s official Exposure Notification App. This is a free smartphone app for anyone 18+ that lives and/or works in New York available for download in the Google Play Store and Apple App Store starting October 1st. The Covid Alert NY app notifies users if they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19. Upon receiving an exposure notification, the app will encourage users to contact their physician or the State Health Department hotline (1-833-227-5045) to get more information about quarantining and testing. To learn more about Covid Alert NY, visit ny.gov/covidalerts.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 8 October 2020 at 4:40 pm
Orleans County has 2 new confirmed cases of Covid-19. The new positive cases are residents of Albion and Yates.
One of the individuals is in the 20s and the other is in the 30s. The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
Orleans has now had 325 people test positive for Covid since March. Orleans also has 7 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County received 8 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 334 positive cases.
The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Elba and Stafford. One of the individuals is a resident at the New York State Veteran’s Home.
Two of the positive individuals are between the ages of 0-20, one individual is in the 40s, two individuals are in the 50s, one is in the 60s, and two are in their 80s. Three individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has 21 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. The county continues to have one person hospitalized from Covid.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.
• State-wide Data: The state set a new record for testing on Wednesday with 145,811 Covid-19 diagnostic test results.
In the top 20 ZIP codes in areas that have seen recent outbreaks – Brooklyn, Queens, and Rockland and Orange counties – 7,349 tests were conducted, yielding 426 positives or a 5.8 percent positivity rate. In the remainder of the state, 138,462 tests were conducted yielding 1,410 positives or a 1.01 percent positivity rate.
“Yesterday we did 145,000 tests, which is a new record for the State of New York. That’s more tests than anyone’s doing in the United States, a new high for us,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “The tests, and the reason we’re increasing tests, is we’re testing two universes – the normal statewide testing, which is what we’ve been doing, and then testing just in the hot spot ZIP codes. Some have reported that the state’s infection rate is going up. That is not a fact and that is incorrect. The clusters are what we are watching. The clusters are 6 percent of the state population. I don’t think there’s any other state that does enough testing to even know what 6 percent of the population is doing. So don’t confuse 6 percent of the population and say it’s representative of the state.”
Today’s data is summarized briefly below:
Patient Hospitalization – 754 (+6)
Patients Newly Admitted – 106
Number ICU – 172 (-4)
Number ICU with Intubation – 67 (-5)
Deaths – 10 (Total Deaths – 25,555)
This is each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days. Orleans County is in the Finger Lakes Region.
By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 8 October 2020 at 12:08 pm
Photos by Ginny Kropf: Jim Punch, who has agreed to oversee the medical equipment loan closet for Medina Lions, points out the many hospital beds which are available for loan. The Medina Lions have been given free storage space for the equipment at the Pickle Factory on Park Avenue.
MEDINA – The first actual meeting of Medina Lions since the Covid pandemic was packed with special announcements.
The Club met Tuesday night at Shelridge Country Club, where several special projects were unveiled and Lion’s District Governor Mike Donnor was introduced as guest speaker.
A highlight of the meeting was ja presentation by Jim Punch, who has agreed to head the Medical Equipment Loan Program which Medina Lions have taken over from Lyndonville Lions. Twenty other Medina Lions have volunteered to help with the program.
The program has been run by Lyndonville Lions for decades, with Russ Martino heading it there. Martino this year decided it was getting to be too much and he wanted to step down from his position. The program was offered to Medina Lions, who met to discuss it and decided it was something they could in keeping with their mission, “We serve.” A small portion of the program will remain in Lyndonville, with a student group from Lyndonville High School overseeing it.
The Medina Lions have been given free storage space by Roger Hungerford in the Pickle Factory on Park Avenue. The Lions spent a recent day moving in all the equipment from Martino’s barn and his parents’ home and organizing it at the Pickle Factory. The equipment includes hospital beds, wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, canes, crutches, commodes, shower chairs and other medical items.
In its first days of running the program, Punch said they had already loaned out two hospital beds.
“Our reward is the gratitude of the families we help,” Punch said. “It costs thousands to buy a hospital bed.”
“This program saves the community thousands of dollars,” said Medina Lions president Billy Roman.
Anyone in Orleans and Eastern Niagara County may borrow equipment from the loan closet by calling (585) 205-3502. In Lyndonville, calls may be made to (585) 281-4126.
Other Lion business included announcement of this year’s Parade of Lights by Jim Hancock, and acknowledgement of members who worked at the Albion soup kitchen. In addition, five new members have been inducted into the club: Frank Messore, Kelly Uderitz, Tom Beach, Annette Oakes and Tim Winters.
Jim Punch addresses the Medina Lions Club during a meeting Tuesday night at Shelridge Country Club, where he explained the medical loan closet they have taken over from Lyndonville Lions. Seated is guest speaker Lion’s District governor Mike Donnor, left, and Medina Lion’s president Billy Roman.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2020 at 5:35 pm
In Orleans County, there are three more confirmed cases of Covid-19. The new positive individuals reside in Albion, Gaines and Ridgeway.
Two of the people are in their 50s and one person is in the 60s. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Orleans has now had 323 people test positive for Covid.
The 7 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County received 2 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 326 positive cases.
The new positive cases reside in Elba and are both between the ages of 0-20.
The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also is reporting one more recovery from Covid, while one person remains hospitalized from Covid.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are 18 active cases in Genesee, 10 in Wyoming and three in Orleans.
More 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 2 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 for those regions in phase 4. 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 7 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.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 7 October 2020 at 8:30 am
Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Tuesday that New Mexico has been added to New York State’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.
“Mass gatherings cause infections, which cause a cluster; a cluster causes community spread – that is the natural evolution of things unless we intervene and stop the cycle,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’ve seen it in colleges, factory settings around the country, in apple plants around New York, a single restaurant on Long Island – we’ve even seen in the Rose Garden that mass gatherings spread this virus. We’re seeing clusters now in several areas in the state and we have to stop the spread before we go backwards on the progress we’ve made.”
The full list of 33 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, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, West Virginia and Wyoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 6 October 2020 at 7:59 pm
2 counties reach 400 recoveries in community from Covid
Orleans County has two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, with both residents of Murray. One person is in the 20s and the other is in the 30s.
One individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County health Departments reported.
Orleans has now had 320 people test positive for Covid since March.
Genesee County is reporting one more confirmed case of Covid, an Elba resident in the 50s. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has now had 324 people test positive.
The two counties are also reporting more recoveries. Orleans has had two more people released from mandatory isolation after recovering from Covid, while Genesee has one more. The two counties have reached a milestone with 400 recoveries in the community – 245 in Genesee and 155 in Orleans. That doesn’t include people who contracted Covid in state-regulated facilities.
Orleans also has 17 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee continues to have one person hospitalized with Covid.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties. There are currently 33 active cases in the three counties with three in Orleans, 12 in Wyoming and 18 in Genesee.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 5 October 2020 at 4:18 pm
Genesee passes Orleans in total cases since March
Orleans County doesn’t have any new cases of Covid-19 to report since Friday while Genesee County has nine more, including three under the age of 20.
Genesee’s new cases are residents of Alabama, Elba, LeRoy and Oakfield. Besides the three under age 20, the new cases include two people in their 20s, one in the 40s, and three people in their 50s.
Seven individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
One of the new positive cases is a student at Elba High School. This case was identified in a press release Friday evening.
“If you were not notified you are not considered a close contact,” the Health Department said in today’s news release.
The new cases bring Genesee’s total since March to 323. Genesee now has had more people test positive for Covid-19 than Orleans, which has had 318 cases.
Genesee also is reporting four more recoveries and Orleans has had five more. Those people have been released from mandatory isolation.
In Genesee, there are 8 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states while Orleans County has 11 more on precautionary quarantine due to travel.
Click here to see an online map of confirmed cases in Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties. There are currently three active cases in Orleans, 18 in Genesee and seven in Wyoming.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 2 October 2020 at 4:52 pm
Orleans County has one new confirmed case of Covid-19 to report today, the first new case since Monday.
The new positive case is a Shelby resident in the 60s. The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
Orleans has now had 318 people test for Covid-19 since March. The county had four people test positive in the past week, which compares to nine new cases the previous week.
In Genesee County, there are three new cases to report today. They are residents in Alabama, Elba and LeRoy. The individuals are in the 20s, 30s and 70s. The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee has now had 314 people test positive for Covid-19 since March, including 15 in the past week.
Genesee also has six more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states, while Orleans has three more.
Genesee also has one resident hospitalized due to Covid-19.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• Flu Season: With flu season quickly approaching it is important to get flu shots now to build up immunity.It generally takes 2 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. Check with a primary care provider for more information.
Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
During September there were 2 exposures in Orleans County from feral cats that tested positive for rabies and resulted in unnecessary and costly post-exposure treatments.
It’s important to avoid contact with unknown animals both wild and domestic – love your own, leave the rest alone.
It is an important reminder that all dogs, cats and ferrets are to be updated on their rabies vaccines. The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments will be hosting free drive-thru anti-rabies immunization clinics in October.
The Orleans County clinic will be on Saturday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Orleans County Fairgrounds (12690 Route 31, Albion).
The Genesee County clinic will be on Thursday, October 15, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Genesee County Fairgrounds (5056 East Main Street Road, Batavia).
To assist with crowd control, the vaccination clinics are only for respective county residents. The Genesee clinic will only be for Genesee County residents and the Orleans clinic will only be for Orleans County residents.
Click here to fill in the rabies certificate for your pets. Be sure to print out two copies for each pet to be vaccinated and bring them with you. Masks are required when speaking to staff and when outside of your vehicle at the vaccination station.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 1 October 2020 at 4:43 pm
Orleans County has no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 for the third straight day while Genesee County has 2 more cases.
Genesee’s new confirmed cases are residents of Batavia and Elba, with one in the 40s and the other in the 50s. The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
Genesee is reporting 4 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states while Orleans has 2 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel. Genesee also has one resident hospitalized due to Covid-19.
To see an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here. There are currently 24 active cases in the three rural counties with 10 each in Genesee and Orleans, and four in Wyoming.
More from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments
• School Guidance: The counties have received updated guidance from the New York State Department of Health regarding when/if to send your child to school and when/if staff should report. Click here to see the document.
This has been sent out to all school districts. If you have issues with this guidance or further questions we encourage you to contact your state elected officials or the state directly as the local counties do not have control over what the state directs.
• Nursing Home Visitation: New guidance for skilled nursing facility visitation is available by clicking here. The state is requiring the facilities to have visitors provide proof of negative Covid-19 test results within 7 days of visit. This may result in multiple tests to continue to visit your loved ones. To find additional test sites nearest you, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 30 September 2020 at 4:41 pm
Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed Covid-19 cases for the second straight day, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.
Genesee County is reporting one new case, a person in the 40s from Elba. The individual was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive. Genesee has now had 309 people test positive for Covid-19 since March.
Genesee also has 15 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. The county has one person hospitalized from Covid.
In Orleans County, there is one more recovery to report from the community, bringing that total to 145. Orleans also has 6 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
• State-wide Data: There were 1,000 new cases reported to the state on Tuesday out of 97,960 test results with 1.02 percent positive.
This is each region’s percentage of positive test results reported over the last three days.
The state has deployed rapid testing machines to 20 zip codes in Rockland, Kings, Orange and Nassau counties. Within the 20 hotspot zip codes, the average rate of positive tests is 5.5 percent. The rate of positive tests for the remainder of New York State, not counting the top 20 ZIP codes, is 0.82 percent.
“So you have two infection rates that you want to pay attention to: the statewide numbers and then the cluster numbers,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said. “All of this is a stark reminder that we need to stay smart and vigilant – wear a mask, socially distance, follow the public health guidance – because this thing is not over.”
• Emergency Regulation Extended: The Governor also announced the New York State Department of Financial Services will extend an emergency regulation requiring New York health insurers to waive out-of-pocket costs, including cost-sharing, deductibles, copayments and coinsurance, for in-network mental health services for New York’s frontline essential workers during Covid-19 until Nov. 27.
The extension of this emergency regulation helps to ensure that cost-sharing is not a barrier to in-network mental health services during COVID-19 for health care workers, first responders, transit workers, food services workers, retail workers at essential businesses, and other frontline essential employees, who are required to directly interact with the public while working during this continuing public health emergency.
Cuomo first announced the state’s directive requiring New York insurers to waive out-of-pocket costs for in-network mental health services for frontline essential workers during Covid-19 in May.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 29 September 2020 at 4:25 pm
Orleans County doesn’t have any new confirmed cases of Covid-19 to report today, while Genesee County has 5 more, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported.
Genesee has now had 308 people test positive for Covid-19 since March. The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Elba and Oakfield.
Two of the individuals are between the ages of 0-20, one is in the 20s, another in the 30s, and one is in the 60s.
The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
Genesee also has 14 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states. The county also has one person hospitalized from Covid-19.
Orleans County is reporting 9 more people on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
To see an online map with the confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, click here.
By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 28 September 2020 at 4:47 pm
Orleans County has 3 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, who are residents of Barre and Clarendon, the Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
Two of the individuals are in their 30s and one is in the 60s. The county has now had 317 people test positive since March.
The individuals were not on quarantine prior to testing positive, the Health Departments said.
Orleans has also had one more person recover from Covid who has been released from mandatory isolation. The county also has 17 new individuals are on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
Genesee County received 4 new positive cases of Covid-19 and has now had 303 positive cases.
The new positive cases reside in Batavia and Elba. Three of the individuals are between the ages of 0-20 and one individual is in the 90s.
The individuals were not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
One of the new positive cases is a resident at the NYS Veterans Home, and the other three are students at Elba Central School. The students have been placed on mandatory isolation at home. All close contacts are in the process of being notified by the Genesee County Health Department.
“If you were not notified you are not considered a close contact,” the Health Departments said in a news briefing this afternoon.
Genesee is also reporting one more recovery who has been released from mandatory isolation. The county also has 37 new individuals on precautionary quarantine due to travel from restricted states.
