Orleans has 8 new Covid-19 cases with 7 in the community
Orleans County received 8 new positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the county’s total confirmed cases to 154, the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments reported today.
One of the new cases is a resident of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center in Albion, but seven of the cases were people outside the nursing home in the community.
One of the positive cases resides in Yates, two of the new positive cases reside in Ridgeway, one lives in Shelby, two are in Albion, and one of the new positive cases resides in Murray.
Three of the individuals are in their 20s, two are in their 30s, two are in their 50s and one of the new positive cases is a person in the 80s.
None of the newly positive community cases were on quarantine prior to becoming symptomatic.
One of the previous positive community cases have recovered and have been released from mandatory isolation. That brings the total recoveries to 49 in Orleans County.
The Health Department reports that 13 of the total active positive cases are hospitalized. Please note those in the hospital may be from the community or a state-regulated facility. The Health Department does not separate them out to protect their privacy.
The department was made aware that the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) did swab all residents and employees of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehabilitation Center, where 78 residents have tested positive for Covid-19 and 20 have died after contracting the virus. Any questions regarding specific issues should be addressed to The Villages or NYSDOH, the local health department said.
In Genesee County, there are four new positive cases of Covid-19, bringing the Genesee total to 169.
One of the new positive cases is a person who lives in Le Roy, while the other three cases are Batavia residents. One of the individuals is in the 20s and three are in their 30s.
Two of the newly positive individuals were not on quarantine prior to
becoming symptomatic.
Genesee also has had three more people recover from Covid-19, bringing the total recoveries to 99.
The county has one person currently hospitalized from the virus.
The Health Department also has received notification that one of the patients from the Batavia VA Medical Center has been identified as an Erie County resident. Therefore, the total positive case number will be one less and has been adjusted in the Genesee data.
Click here to view an online map of confirmed cases in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties.
Additional information from the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments:
• The facility breakdown is only showing those facilities from where we received a positive swab for Covid-19. Facilities will be added if there is a positive case of Covid- 19.
Because the local health departments don’t follow the positive cases for facilities, we cannot report any recoveries from the facilities with positive cases 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, hospitals, group homes, etc.
• Social gatherings: We have plenty of guidance and criteria for businesses to safely open and encourage everyone to visit the ESD website, NY Forward and the Regional Control Room for guidance and to answer your questions.
Un-PAUSING does NOT mean we can start having social events, even outside. The Executive Order bans gatherings of any kind, in any location, to no more than 10 people. The more socialization that occurs the higher risk of transmitting the virus, especially to those who are most vulnerable.
It is imperitive we still restrict social/family gatherings until we are certain to have this under control and/or there is a vaccine. It is expected we will see an uptick of positive cases and mandatory quarantines as social interaction increases. If cases increase, it shows us people may be ignoring the orders to not have gatherings of 10 or more people, not social distancing, not hand washing/sanitizing, disinfecting shared surfaces often, and/or not wearing face coverings properly. This can also impact our ability to continue the re-opening phases. We ask that you respect the guidance and continue to social distance.
• New York State on PAUSE: To assist local authorities with enforcement of these orders, the Governor established the New York State PAUSE Enforcement Assistance Task Force where individuals can file complaints regarding the operation of non-essential businesses or gatherings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Click here to file a complaint online. You may also call 1-833-789- 0470. Businesses that are not in compliance with the Governor’s executive order may be penalized.
• Upcoming Graduations: Because of the current Executive Order that bans gatherings of more than 10 people, no ceremonies are allowed in stadiums or fields. Drive-by parades are okay as long as they are maintaining social distancing orders and not parking. The Governor’s office is not going to review requests on a case by case basis.
• Re-Opening Guidance: The State has provided a template for all businesses to help develop their written Safety Plan to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This plan does not need to be submitted to a state-agency for approval, however it must be retained on the premises of the business and must be made available to the New York State Department of Health (DOH) or local health or safety authorities in the event of an inspection.
Be advised the local health departments are NOT the gatekeepers in these next steps. We are NOT reviewing/approving plans and we don’t have the ability to make decisions on who is/who isn’t a part of the first phase nor have we been provided with guidance on interpreting who is and who isn’t included.
• Children: Children have had their lives turned upside down with school suddenly closing, not being able to play with their friends, no birthday parties and people wearing masks wherever they go. This is a challenging time for everyone, but we also need to remember this is probably more challenging for many children.
Consider setting up virtual play dates so your children can ‘connect’ with their friends, plan to allow time for them to catch up, but also engage in an activity like playing cards or a board game they have while on a messaging app.
Spend time with your children outside. Now is a great time to start a Victory Garden of plants and fruits and vegetables as we move into warmer weather.
• 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
• Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741741 to access 24/7 emotional support services
• 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.
