Health Department urges social distancing on Mothers’ Day

Press Release, Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments

There are no new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Orleans, while two more people have recovered. There are now 40 recoveries. The county has 124 confirmed cases.

Seven of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.

“We are reporting that an individual (under 65 years of age) who lived in The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center passed away. Due to privacy issues, we are not releasing further details about this individual. I would like to express my sincerest sympathy for these individuals’ family and friends.”

Orleans County has now had 18 people die from Covid-19, including 17 residents at The Villages.

Genesee County received 1 new positive case of Covid-19 for a total of 162 positive cases. The positive case resides in Batavia and is a person is in the 80s. The newly positive individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

One of the previous positive cases has recovered and has been released from mandatory isolation, bringing the total recoveries in the community to 91.

Five of the total active positive cases are hospitalized.

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

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where we received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of Covid-19.

If a regulated facility from either of our counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19 as of the release of this briefing. The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities, hospitals, etc.

• The Nursing Home hotline number is 833-249-8499 or click here for the online form.

Covid-19 Serology Testing (SARS-CoV-2):  Serology tests look for antibodies (proteins that fight off infections) in the blood to better understand how many Covid-19 infections have occurred.  Provides a more complete estimate of how common Covid-19 is (or the incidence of infection) and is a guide to control measures, such as social distancing.

• 44 residents of Orleans County had the Serology Test for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) and 4 returned positive. 336 residents of Genesee County had the Serology Test for antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) and 12 returned positive.

• Serology tests are not used for diagnosis. These tests are more for research to help in the development of vaccines and in understanding the scale of the pandemic.

• The tests look for the antibodies in the blood. If antibodies are found it means there has been a previous infection. It takes 1-2 weeks after the first symptoms appear for antibodies to develop in the body.

• Antibodies can take 2-3 weeks after infection to develop, so people should not get the antibody test too early or it may give false negative results. This is an aid in identifying individuals with an adaptive immune response to Covid-19, indicating recent or prior infection. There are also several different strains of coronavirus and the antibody may pick up a different coronavirus type other than the current pandemic novel strain, causing positive for coronavirus antibodies. Not everyone will develop an antibody response.

• It is currently unknown if someone who has been infected with Covid-19 will be immune to the virus if exposed in the future.

Nurses’ Week – we would like to take a moment to thank our nursing teams in both counties as well as all the nurses who are working so hard to help those under their care. They daily provide care, instruction, encouragement, compassion, and strength to the patients and their families they are in contact with. We greatly appreciate all you do every day no matter if it is a routine day or in the midst of a pandemic, thank you!

Mothers’ Day: As with any special holiday, it is important during Covid-19 we continue social distancing. This is not the time to be having barbecues, large family gatherings.

Honor your moms creatively by facetiming, sending them some special treats, calling on the phone, but if you don’t live in the same household, honor them from a distance. Keep your moms healthy and safe and stay 6 feet away.  We don’t want to see a rise in positive cases because people didn’t heed social distancing.

Prepping for Re-opening Our Region: The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments have developed a guide to use in developing business or organizations re-opening plans.  Please click here for a re-opening guidance and fact sheet.

For further information on the NYS Plans, click here.

Priority Industries for Re-Opening:

• Phase One:Construction; Manufacturing & wholesale supply chain; Select retail using curbside pickup only
• Phase Two: Professional services; Finance & Insurance; Retail; Administrative support; Real Estate & Rental Leasing
• Phase Three: Restaurants & Food Service; Hotels & Accommodations
• Phase Four: Arts, Entertainment & Recreation; Education

• Swabbing and antibody testing is becoming increasingly available in the WNY region. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary care provider and they will determine if testing is right for you. If the counties receive an increase in swabbing supplies and the protocol for testing is changed, we will notify the public.  The Health Departments are not providing public swabbing due to lack of supplies. For more information on testing click here.

• There is still no cure or vaccination available for Covid-19. Be alert to scams or home remedies. Contact your primary care provider if you have any symptoms and follow his/her instructions.

• In order to un-PAUSE safely, we need to continue to be intentional about social distancing, properly wearing face coverings, handwashing/sanitizing and limiting time in public. As seen over the last week there have been increases in community spread cases of Covid-19.

• If we see a significant increase in community acquired positive cases it may hinder our ability to move forward and re-open our counties. It is up to each of us individually to adhere to the guidelines in place, this is about respecting others and their safety understanding as we protect others we are protecting ourselves.

Do No Harm and Strengthen Healthcare System – Based on CDC recommendations, regions must experience a 14-day decline in hospitalizations and deaths on a 3-day rolling average. Regions with few Covid cases cannot exceed 15 new total cases or 5 new deaths on a 3-day rolling average. A region must have fewer than two new Covid patients admitted per 100,000 residents per day.

Testing and Contact Tracing – Regions must implement a testing regimen that prioritizes symptomatic persons and individuals who came into contact with a symptomatic person, and conducts frequent tests of frontline and essential workers. Every region must have the capacity to conduct 30 diagnostic tests for every 1,000 residents per month.

New York State is seeking contact tracers. If you are interested in this position, click here for more information to apply to be a part of the NYS Contact Tracing team. This is a moment of crisis and New York needs our help as soon as possible.

ROC Covid-19 Health Screener: This symptom tracker for the Greater Rochester region is a scientific study collected aggregate date by zip code to track hot spots of Covid-19. The data will potentially show how the virus may be spreading, identify areas that may be at risk and determine how our efforts are working to slow the spread.

You can participate by taking the daily survey whether you are having symptoms or are feeling healthy. It just takes a few seconds.  To learn more, click here.

Mental Health: Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and having to socially distance yourself from someone you love can be difficult. Below are resources that can help you connect to a professional that can help you through these challenging times:

• Care + Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 at 585-283-5200 or text  ‘Talk’ to 741741

• New Yorkers can call the Covid-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.

Domestic Violence: For New Yorkers in need of help or assistance, they can text 844-997-2121 or can go to the new confidential online site to reach a professional at www.opdv.ny.gov.

The new text program and confidential online service will make it easier for victims who are isolated with their abusers to get help. Both the text and online service are staffed 24/7 by the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Staff who are experts in the area of domestic violence.

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One more death reported at Albion nursing home due to Covid-19

ALBION – The New York State Department of Health will be testing all residents and staff at The Village of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, where there has been a big outbreak of Covid-19.

The facility has 68 confirmed cases of Covid-19 among its residents. Today, another death was reported at The Villages, bringing the total deaths due to Covid-19 to 17.

The DOH will likely do the testing mid-week, said Paul Pettit, the county’s public health director. The tests should identify people with the virus, including those without symptoms. Staff members can then be quarantined and removed from the facility to reduce the chances of the virus continuing to spread, Pettit said today after his weekly 4 p.m. news briefing.

The county on Thursday evening also received 307 testing kits to be shared among the two other long-term care facilities in Orleans – the North Wing at Medina Memorial Hospital and Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center in Medina. All of the residents and staff will be tested at those sites, which aren’t facing a Covid-19 outbreak.

Lynne Johnson, County Legislature chairwoman, said she is grateful for the increased testing. The Legislature has asked for the state Department of Health and Attorney General’s Office to investigate the “terrible situation” at The Villages.

Johnson also said the county is pressing the state for a mobile testing site like in the other neighboring counties.

“We are also requesting that New York State add a mobile testing site here so our residents don’t have to drive 45 minutes to get tested,” Johnson said.

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2 more deaths reported, including 1 in community and 1 at The Villages

Orleans County has 15 new confirmed cases of Covid-19, the biggest one-day increase for the county.

Ten of those new confirmed cases are at The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, where there have now been 68 confirmed cases.

The Villages also suffered another death of a resident, for 16 deaths now due to the virus at the 120-bed nursing home in Albion.

The county also had its first death from Covid-19 outside of the nursing home, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this afternoon. That person had underlying health issues, the Health Departments reported.

“Due to privacy issues, we are not releasing further details about either of these individuals,” Public Health Director Paul Pettit stated in a news release. “I would like to express my sincerest sympathy for these individuals’ family and friends.”

The 15 new positive cases of Covid-19 bring the county’s total to 124 positive cases. That includes 38 people who have recovered.

The five new community cases include a resident in each of the following towns: Albion, Gaines, Kendall, Shelby and Yates.

Of the 15 new cases, the age ranges for the people who tested positive include two people in their 30s, one in the 50s, four in the 60s, three in the 70s, five in the 80s, and one in the 90s.

One of the community newly positive individuals was on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic. Eight of the cases include people who are currently hospitalized.

In Genesee County, there are four new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 161 positive cases.

Two of the new positive cases are people who reside in Batavia, while one resides in Bethany, and the other lives in the Town of Alabama.

Two of the people are in their 30s, one is in the 40s, and other is in the 50s.

Three of the newly positive individuals were on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

Genesee had two more people recover from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 90.

Five people are currently hospitalized from Covid-19.

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

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities with a positive swab for Covid-19.  Facilities will be added if there is a positive case of Covid-19.

If a regulated facility from either of the counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19.  The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals.

• In order to un-PAUSE safely, the Health Departments urge residents to continue to be intentional about social distancing, properly wearing face coverings, handwashing/sanitizing and limiting time in public.

As seen over the last week there have been daily increases in community spread cases of Covid-19.

“If we see a significant increase in community-acquired positive cases it may hinder our ability to move forward and re-open our counties,” the Health Departments said. “It is up to each of us individually to adhere to the guidelines in place. This is about respecting others and their safety, understanding as we protect others we are protecting ourselves.”

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15 residents have now died at nursing home in Albion from coronavirus

The local health department is reporting one more death from Covid-19 at The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion. That brings the total confirmed deaths due to coronavirus at the nursing home to 15.

“Our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual at this very sad time,” the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said in a news release this afternoon.

There is also one more confirmed case of Covid-19 at The Villages, bringing that total to 58.

The county has four new positive cases of Covid-19, with three others outside of the nursing home. That brings the county’s total positive cases to 109.

None of the three were on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

Two of the new positive cases reside in Ridgeway and one of the new positive cases is in Shelby.

Among the four cases, one individual is in the 40s, two are in their 50s and one individual is in the 80s or older, the Health Departments reported.

Genesee County 3 new positive cases of Covid-19 for a total of 157 positive cases.

Two of the positive cases reside in Pembroke and one resides in Batavia. One individual is in the 20s and the other two are in their 30s.

Two of the newly positive individuals were on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

Five of the total active positive cases in Genesee County are hospitalized.

“We have removed a ‘positive/recovered’ individual that was determined to be a false-positive result,” the Health Departments said. “Therefore, the total positive case number will be one less and has been adjusted in our data. No further information will be shared.”

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where there has been a positive swab for Covid-19.  Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of Covid-19.

If a regulated facility from either of our counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19.  The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals.

• New York State is seeking contact tracers.  If you are interested in this position, click here to apply to be a part of the NYS Contact Tracing team. This is a moment of crisis and New York needs our help as soon as possible.

• The Nursing Home hotline number is 833-249-8499 or click here for the link to the online form.

• Prepping for Re-opening Our Region:  The Health Departments have developed a guide to use in developing business or organizations re-opening plans.

Click here for a re-opening guidance and fact sheet in response to Covid-19 developed by the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. For further information on the NYS Plans, click here.

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Press Release, Medina Memorial Hospital/Orleans Community Health

MEDINA – We are also pleased to announce that radiology, imaging and cardiac services have resumed at Medina Memorial Hospital by appointment only.

Services include: CT, ultrasound, MRI, mammography, nuclear medicine and cardiology. A script from your physician and insurance authorization are required. Accommodations will be made for high risk individuals at designated times. Please call 585-798-8054 to make an appointment.

Radiology continues to be offered at the Albion Healthcare Center – 14789 Route 31, Albion (585-589-2273) by appointment only.

All patients who enter the hospital or the Albion Health Center will be required to have their temperature taken and will be given a mask.

If you have any questions, please call Erica Chutko, director of Radiology, Imaging and Cardiac Services, at 585-798-8039.

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Nursing home in Albion now has had 57 residents test positive

ALBION – The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion has three more confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the total 57 residents at the nursing home who have tested positive.

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported the three latest confirmed cases this afternoon. The people who tested positive include one person in the 70s, one in the 80s and one in the 90s.

Orleans County, as a whole, has now had 105 people test positive for Covid-19, with more than half at The Villages.

The Orleans County Legislature and State Assemblyman Steve Hawley are asking the State Department of Health for an investigation into the outbreak at The Villages, where 14 people have died from Covid-19. The Legislature also is asking the Attorney General Letitia James to investigate the nursing home’s handling of the virus.

The Health Department reports today that six people from Orleans County who currently have Covid-19 are hospitalized. Of the 105 who have tested positive, 38 have recovered.

In Genesee County there is one new confirmed case of Covid-19. That person is from Darien and is in the 80s. The newly positive individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

Genesee County has had 155 people test positive for Covid-19. Three more people have recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 86.

Five of the active cases include people who are hospitalized.

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

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where the Health Departments have received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added if there is a positive case of Covid-19.

If a regulated facility from either of the counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19. The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals.

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5 more recoveries reported in Orleans County

The Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments are reporting new Covid-19 cases today for both counties.

In Orleans there are two new confirmed cases of Covid-19, bringing the county’s total to 102 positive cases.

One of the new cases is a Ridgeway resident while the other case is a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health & Rehabilitation Center in Albion. The Villages has now had 54 residents test positive for Covid-19.

The two new positive cases for the county include an individual in the 40’s and one in the 70’s. The Ridgeway resident wasn’t on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

The Health Departments are reporting five more people have recovered from Covid-19 and have been released from mandatory isolation. That brings the total recoveries to 36.

Five of the total active positive cases include people who are hospitalized.

In Genesee County, there is one new confirmed case, for 154 total in the county. The new case is a person who’s in the 20’s and lives in the Town of Alabama. The individual was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

The Health Departments is reporting one more recovery in Genesee County, bringing that total to 86. Six Genesee County residents remain hospitalized from Covid-19.

The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of Covid-19.

If a regulated facility from either of the counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of Covid-19.  The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities and hospitals, etc.

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

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Health Department reports 1 more death from Covid-19 at The Villages for 14 total

ALBION – Two more people residents of Orleans County have tested positive for Covid-19, bringing the county’s total to 100.

The two new positives are both residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Facility in Albion. That 120-bed facility now has had 53 people test positive for Covid-19.

The nursing home also had another person die of Covid-19, bringing the total deaths from the coronavirus at The Villages to 14. The person passed away on Friday and that death was reported to the Health Department today.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very challenging time,” said Paul Pettit, director of Genesee & Orleans County Health Departments.

Of the 100 confirmed cases in Orleans County, 31 people have recovered after contracting the virus.

The two Health Departments announced the new cases today at 4 p.m. Besides the new two cases in Orleans County, there are three more in Genesee, which now has had 153 people test positive.

The Health Department will provide more information on Monday about the ages of the people and where they are from in the new Genesee cases.

The Health Departments urges people to continue to be vigilant about handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, properly wearing cloth face coverings over the mouth and nose, and keeping your hands away from your face.

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Assemblyman Hawley says he is asking state to bring testing site to Orleans County

Orleans County stands alone among its neighbors by not having a drive-through testing site for Covid-19.

In Genesee County, United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia added a drive-through site in late March.

Last week Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the opening of drive-through sites close to Orleans, including:

• Niagara County: Niagara County Community College, 3111 Saunders Settlement Rd., Sanborn

• Erie County: Buffalo Sabres Lot, 125 Perry Street, Buffalo

• Monroe County: Monroe County Community College, 1000 E Henrietta Road, Rochester, Lot G

(People who would like to be tested at these facilities must make an appointment by calling 888-364-3065 or online at covid19screening.health.ny.gov.)

In Orleans County, 662 people have been testing for Covid-19, as of Friday, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported. Of those tested in Orleans, 566 didn’t have Covid-19, while 96 tested positive, as of Friday. (Two more people tested positive on Saturday, bringing the total to 98.)

The county has a population of 40,352, according to the 2019 Census estimate. With 662 tested, that is one out of 60 in the county.

In Genesee County, where there is a drive-through testing site, 1,030 people have been tested overall. The county has a population of 57,280, according to the 2019 Census estimates. With 1,030 people tested in the county, that is one out of every 55, which isn’t much different than in Orleans.

Paul Pettit, the Public Health director in the two counties, said more testing is needed in both counties to get an accurate picture of how prevalent the virus is in both counties.

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Press Release, GOW Task Force and GCASA

A free opioid overdose prevention online Narcan training is scheduled for May 13. The program is hosted by the GOW Opioid Task Force and Genesee/Orleans Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Prevention Department.

The videoconference training offers two one-hour sessions: 10 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 3 p.m. Participants need to attend only one of the sessions to receive credit.

Topics to be covered include the disease of addiction, a brief history of the opioid crisis, signs and symptoms of opioid use and overdose, the overdose reversal drug Narcan, the administration of Narcan and where to obtain Narcan.

“After completing a registration form, an attendee will be sent a link for this online training,” said Christen Ferraro, task force coordinator. “Once the training is complete, that person will receive a free Narcan nasal spray kit from a licensed provider.”

To register, send an email requesting a registration form to cferraro@gcasa.org.

For more information, visit www.gowopioidtaskforce.org.

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Press Release, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Office

Amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced the results of the state’s completed antibody testing study show 12.3 percent of the population have COVID-19 antibodies.

The survey developed a baseline infection rate by testing 15,000 people at grocery stores and community centers across the state over the past two weeks. Of those tested, 11.5% of women tested positive and 13.1% of men tested positive.

“While we’re in uncharted waters it doesn’t mean we proceed blindly, and the results of the 15,000 people tested in our antibody survey program – the largest survey in the nation – will inform our strategy moving forward,” Governor Cuomo said. “We’re also going to undertake a full survey of antibody testing for transit workers, who have been on the front lines of this crisis. We’ve said thank you to our essential workers thousands of times but actions speak louder than words, and we want them to know that we’re doing everything we can do to keep them safe.”

A regional breakdown of the results is below:

The Governor also announced that the state will distribute over 7 million more cloth masks to vulnerable New Yorkers and essential workers across the state. The masks will be distributed as follows:

• 500,000 for NYCHA residents
• 500,000 for farm workers
• 1 million for vulnerable populations, including the mental health and developmental disabled communities
• 500,000 for homeless shelters
• 2 million for elderly New Yorkers and nursing homes
• 1 million for faith-based organizations and food banks
• 2 million for grocery stores, supermarkets and food delivery workers

The Governor also announced the state is distributing $25 million to food banks across the state through the Nourish New York Initiative. The Nourish New York initiative, announced earlier this week by Governor Cuomo, is working to quickly reroute New York’s surplus agricultural products to the populations who need them most through New York’s network of food banks.

Funding will be distributed as follows:

• New York City Region: $11 million
• Westchester Region: $1 million
• Long Island Region: $1.6 million
• Capital/Hudson Valley Region (includes portion of North Country and Mohawk Valley): $4.4 million
• Central NY Region (includes portion of North Country and Mohawk Valley): $2.2 million
• Southern Tier Region: $1.1 million
• Western New York Region: $2.1 million
• Finger Lakes Region (includes portion of Southern Tier): $1.7 million

Finally, the Governor confirmed 4,663 additional cases of novel coronavirus, bringing the statewide total to 312,977 confirmed cases in New York State.

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ALBION – There are two more cases of Covid-19 at The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Facility in Albion, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments is reporting this afternoon.

That brings the total confirmed cases among residents to 51 at the 120-bed facility. Orleans County also now has 98 confirmed cases of coronavirus, with more than half at The Villages.

There aren’t any new confirmed cases to report today in Genesee County. That county has had 150 confirmed cases of Covid-19.

There is currently no further information to release on ages and location. Mapping to include the positive cases from the weekend will be updated on Monday afternoon, the Health Departments said in a news release.

The local public health departments offered this advice for residents: “We continue to encourage our residents to be vigilant about handwashing, cleaning frequently used surfaces, properly wearing cloth face coverings over the mouth and nose, keeping your hands away from your face, limiting time out in public and when you do need to go out for essentials you designate one person from your household, keep social distancing and stay home if you are sick.”

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Orleans and Genesee counties each have one new confirmed case of Covid-19, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported this afternoon.

In Orleans, the new positive case in a person in the 30s who lives in Albion. That brings the total cases in Orleans County to 96.

The individual had been on mandatory quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic. The county has five people of the total active positive cases currently in the hospital.

Orleans County has lost two more residents to COVID-19. They were both residents at The Village of Orleans Health & Rehab facility.  Both were over 65. That brings the total number of residents to die from Covid-19 to 13, and all were at The Villages.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of these individuals during this very difficult time,” the Health Department stated in a news release. “Please take a moment of silence to remember all we have lost in our counties, our state, our nation and around the world.  These people are our parents, our grandparents, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, friends, neighbors and co-workers. They have each been important to us and they have had an impact on all they have had contact with.”

Genesee County, with one new confirmed case, now has 150 positive cases. The latest case is a person in the 70s who resides in Batavia. The newly positive person was not on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.

Genesee County has three more recoveries bringing that number to 81. Four of the active cases are people in the hospital.

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

Here is the rest of the press release from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:

• Non-County Public Regulated Facilities: The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where we received a positive swab for COVID-19.  Facilities will be added when and if there is a positive case of COVID-19.  If a regulated facility from either of our counties is not listed, there are no positive cases of COVID-19 as of the release of this briefing.  The local health departments do not have oversight with many regulated facilities, which may include nursing homes, correctional facilities, hospitals, etc.

In order to show community spread of the active cases, we have broken out the facilities and all active cases (mandatory isolation, mandatory quarantine and precautionary quarantine and recovery) will only be community cases.

We will continue to include all confirmed cases, total tests administered, total negative results, ages and deaths cumulatively for both community and facilities.  We found that because we are not the agency that follows non-county regulatory facilities we couldn’t report recoveries.  We expect this will give a clearer picture of what is happening in Genesee and Orleans Counties.

We are having conversations with our local facilities as appropriate to provide guidance and personal protective equipment (PPE) as it is available, but we are limited in what we can do because they are state or federal facilities and not under local oversight.  If you have questions or concerns about a specific facility we encourage you to talk directly with the facility and the appropriate oversight agency.

• Nursing home complaint hotline: The NYS Health Department will partner with the State’s Attorney General to investigate nursing home violations. A hotline or online form can be submitted where residents, families, or members of the public can share complaints about nursing homes that have not provided required communications with families about COVID-19 diagnoses or fatalities, nursing home abuse, and neglect including failure to follow rules to keep residents safe. The hotline number is 833-249-8499 or click here for the link for the online form.

• Testing availability: Swabbing and antibody testing is becoming increasingly available in the WNY region. If you are experiencing symptoms, contact your primary care provider and they will determine if testing is right for you. If the counties receive an increase in swabbing supplies and the protocol for testing is changed, we will notify the public. The Health Departments are not providing public swabbing due to lack of supplies.

For more information on testing click here.

• There is still no cure or vaccination available for COVID-19. Be alert to scams or home remedies. Contact your primary care provider if you have any symptoms and follow his/her instructions.

• Prepping to re-open the region: Although there currently isn’t any guidance on when WNY will be allowed to re-open, we are optimistic we will have guidance soon and encourage everyone to be prepared in our preparations with our goal to protect the health and safety of our residents.

Conditions will be monitored to limit and lessen (mitigate) any rebounds or outbreaks by restarting a phase or returning to an earlier phase, depending on the severity to protect the most vulnerable. Re-opening will be data driven to determine the viability of the process. If there is a sharp increase of positive swabs and antibody results we need to determine if it is related to increased testing, lack of following guidance or a combination of the two.

• For all businesses: Develop a plan to limit the risk of infection of employees and the public. Monitor workforce for symptoms, do not allow symptomatic people to physically return to work until cleared by a medical provider. If possible continue to encourage telework whenever possible.

• The Health Departments encourage stores and businesses to set guidelines that include not allowing patrons to enter if they are not wearing a face covering or are not wearing it correctly (covering the mouth & nose). For those who cannot wear masks for legitimate breathing issues, ask someone else to run errands for your or call ahead to see if you can have curbside delivery.  Make sure you have proper signage noting your policy and that it is visible to your patrons.

• Close common areas where personnel are likely to congregate and interact or enforce strict social distancing protocols.
• Ensure 6-foot buffer zones when dealing with the public and between work stations. • Prioritize online payments over cashiers when possible.
• Provide handwashing/hand sanitizing stations for employees and the public.
• Consider making properly worn face coverings (covering the mouth and nose) mandatory for staff and customers. For those unable to wear masks due to legitimate breathing issues, reassign them so they don’t interact with the public or have close contact with fellow workers.
• Review your sick leave policy and enforce it so no on exhibiting symptoms is allowed to report for duty. If someone becomes ill at work, have disinfecting protocol in place to clean the area(s) the employee has been in.
• For everyone: Wearing masks and social distancing is paramount to preventing flare-ups and mini-outbreaks. Everyone needs to be compliant. Correctly wearing cloth masks (covering the mouth and nose) is part of a multi-prong approach to stop/slow the spread of COVID-19. We know wearing a face covering is inconvenient and uncomfortable, but it can limit transmission of respiratory germs. The mask traps the droplets before they spread into the environment. Remember wearing a face covering helps to protect others from your potential germs.  Since many have been asymptomatic, this will help limit the spread.
• Minimize non-essential travel and adhere to CDC guidelines regarding isolation following travel.

• Mental Health: Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations and having to socially distance yourself from someone you love can be difficult. Below are resources that can help you connect to a professional that can help you through these challenging times:

• Care + Crisis Helpline is available 24/7 at 585-283-5200 or text  ‘Talk’ to 741741

• New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.

• Domestic Violence: For New Yorkers in need of help or assistance, they can text 844-997-2121 or can go to the new confidential online site to reach a professional at www.opdv.ny.gov. The new text program and confidential online service will make it easier for victims who are isolated with their abusers to get help. Both the text and online service are staffed 24/7 by the Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence Staff who are experts in the area of domestic violence.

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State OK’s return of elective surgeries in 35 counties

Medina Memorial Hospital is doing elective surgeries again after the state had banned them to ensure adequate space in hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients.

But Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 21 said some counties didn’t have enough Coivd-19 cases to justify continuing the ban on elective surgeries. He allowed those surgeries to resume in 35 counties, including Orleans.

Medina Memorial resumed doing surgeries today. Those surgical services include: general surgeries, GI scopes, ENT and urology.

All surgical patients will need to be tested for Covid-19 three days prior to surgery and their physicians will provide them with details, Medina Memorial said.

Testing is currently being offered at the Albion Health Center – 14789 Route 31, Albion (585-589-2273). Patients will need to pre-register by phone the day prior to their surgery and a nurse will call them to discuss their health history and arrival time. When arriving at the hospital patients will have their temperature taken and will be provided with a mask.

No visitors will be allowed with the patient unless the patient is a child and then one parent may accompany them. The person who is bringing the patient for their surgery will be able to wait in the hospital parking lot. Information regarding the status of the patient and discharge instructions will be communicated via cell phone.

For any questions, please call your provider or Kim Gray, director of Surgical Services, at 585-798-8301.

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Photos by Tom Rivers

The McDonalds in Albion is using its main sign at its Route 31 location to proclaim support for healthcare workers.

In Medina, there is a long sign at Rotary Park highlighting the healthcare workers at Medina Memorial Hospital and Orleans Community Health.

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