Tioga County COVID Brief

Warmer weather is starting to arrive, and restrictions in New York State are loosening once more as the number of residents that are vaccinated continues to increase. According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, 15 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in New York State as of Thursday. This number means that one in three New York residents are fully vaccinated. To locate a vaccine, visit https://vaccinefinder.org.

On Tuesday of last week, Governor Cuomo announced that New York State would adopt the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new guidance on mask use for fully vaccinated people. The guidelines state that fully vaccinated people, defined as two or more weeks after receiving the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, no longer need to wear masks outdoors, except in certain crowded settings and venues. 

However, as noted by Governor Cuomo in the release, masks should still be worn indoors and should still be worn by people who are not fully vaccinated. 

“This guidance reemphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated and closely adhering to public health guidance, particularly if you are not yet vaccinated,” the governor wrote in his release.

Also, last week, the governor announced that the 12 a.m. food and beverage service curfew will be lifted for outdoor dining areas beginning May 17 and for indoor dining areas beginning May 31.

Governor Cuomo also announced that the 1 a.m. curfew for catered events, where attendees have provided proof of vaccination status or a recent negative COVID-19 test result will be lifted beginning May 17, with the curfew for all catered events lifted on May 31. 

Additionally, the Governor announced that catered events can resume at residences beginning May 3 above the State’s residential gathering limit of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors, as long as the events are staffed by a professional, licensed caterer, permitted by the respective locality or municipality, and strictly adhere to health and safety guidance, including social and event gathering limits, masks, and social distancing. 

Also, on May 3, the guidance for dancing among attendees at catered events will be aligned with neighboring states, replacing fixed dance zones for each table with social distancing and masks.

And although restrictions are lifting slightly around New York State, COVID-19 is still prevalent. On Tuesday, the county’s health department reported another death due to the virus, and they are reminding residents to continue to use caution to slow the spread and to get vaccinated, if possible.

Confirmed COVID cases have increased by 67 since our last reporting on April 23. There are currently 94 active COVID cases being handled by our county’s public health department. The total number of deaths due to COVID is now 75, to date.

You can visit https://covid19.tiogacountyny.com for County reporting or call the Coronavirus Hotline at 1-888-364-3065 for general questions or information about COVID-19. 

To find out if you are eligible, and to view the state run clinics and their vaccine availability, visit https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov or call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829).