No new cases of Covid-19 in Orleans, 2 more people have recovered
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.
