(Editor’s Note: Last week the county started to report case numbers for the week by town, and released the first numbers on Friday, and after we went to print. You can view the breakdown here.)
Over the last week, Tioga County officials have continued to provide updates on COVID-19 case numbers in Tioga County, and is preparing a vaccination plan.
According to local lawmakers, over 950 people were tested for COVID-19 during five full days of rapid testing, which was conducted in Waverly. The Rapid Test Site, according to Tioga County’s Legislative Chair, Martha Sauerbrey, was a joint effort between several agencies to address the high number of COVID-19 cases being seen in Waverly, which is currently designated as a “Yellow Zone” by New York State.
Partners in the Rapid Testing effort included Guthrie, The New York State Department of Health, Village of Waverly, Waverly School District, Tioga County Emergency Management, and the Waverly Police Department.
“Testing made it possible for our department to locate several individuals in our community who have COVID-19 along with their close contacts who had a direct exposure to the virus,” said Chairwoman Sauerbrey, adding, “This enabled us to isolate and quarantine a large number of individuals as we continue to contain and control further community spread of the virus.”
Since last weekend, active cases in Tioga County have increased by 12, and the number of fatalities has increased by two (as of Friday morning).
Also, and under New York State’s guidance, the county is now beginning to focus on their COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Plan in anticipation of the COVID-19 vaccine becoming available in the coming weeks.
“We are following the guidelines prioritizing healthcare workers and nursing home residents as the first to receive the vaccine once it is provided by the state,” said Chairwoman Sauerbrey in a release, adding, “In collaboration with our partners, we are preparing for when New York State begins to distribute the vaccines to the local level.”
Tioga County Public Health continues case investigations and contact tracing with individuals who test positive for COVID-19. They are also relying on residents to do their part to help slow the spread of the virus over these next several months.
“Please continue to be vigilant every day,” Chairwoman Sauerbrey stated, adding, “Wear a mask while in public places and when you’re around anyone who does not live within your household. If you feel sick and have any symptoms of COVID-19 including minor symptoms such as a runny nose, sore throat, headache, loss of taste and smell, stomach problems and more, get tested for COVID-19. Stay quarantined until you receive your test results.”
Because many new cases are being tied to small gatherings, lawmakers are encouraging residents to avoid all gatherings with those who live outside your immediate household as we work to get through this crucial stage of the pandemic.
“We have already suffered the heartbreaking loss of 64 members of our community to this virus,” Chairwoman Sauerbrey shared. “Please do your part to help prevent the loss of even more lives to this virus and prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
For further information, visit https://covid19.tiogacountyny.com or call the Tioga County Coronavirus Response Hotline at (607) 687-8225; you can also visit Tioga County Public Health on Facebook.
Be the first to comment on "Tioga County Brief"