There are seven residents of Genesee County who are currently trying to recover from coronavirus -- three of them are hospitalized -- and none of them, according to the County Health Department, had contact with each other.

During a briefing, today, Paul Pettit, director of public health, acknowledged that that fact pattern indicates widespread community transmission in Western New York.

Of the seven cases, we don't know where any of the individuals contracted COVID-19, be it in Genesee County, a neighboring county, or elsewhere in New York State but what we do know is they didn't give it to each other.

That makes social distancing critically important in controlling the spread of the potentially fatal disease.

"We're all in this together and one of the things we are hearing is folks are not complying with social distancing," Pettit said. "We're hearing that folks are just out and about and not hearing the recommendations, the guidelines, and so, unfortunately, these extreme mitigation techniques may linger longer. The more adherent we are and the better we do at following these guidelines the sooner we can get out of this out of the way and get back to normal life."

Coronavirus is all around us.

Erie County: 219 total cases, 85 new in the past 24 hours.

• Livingston County, three total cases
• Monroe County, 160 total cases, 21 new
• Wyoming County, seven total cases.
• Orleans County, four total cases

In Genesee County, 17 people are under precautionary quarantine and 34 people are under mandatory quarantine.

Not all of the people under quarantine were placed there because they had local contact with a positive case. Some of them had contact with a person in another county.

In New York, there are now 44,635 positive cases and 6,481. That's more confirmed cases in New York than any country in the world.

The countries that have had the most success in battling coronavirus -- such as Germany and South Korea -- have used aggressive contract tracing, social isolation, and testing.

Health workers in our county are working hard, Pettit said, to identify contacts positive cases had with other people. If any of those people were in a large group of people -- such as in a story or at an event -- that information would be released. If that information isn't released -- and it hasn't been -- Pettit said, that indicates the people who tested positive had more one-on-one contacts than any large-group contact.

At least for the period of symptoms that is included in the contract tracing protocol.

Pettit said local staff is working long hours on contact tracing and individuals who have come within six feet of a known positive case are being placed under mandatory quarantine.

However, the department is following state guidelines and only looking for contacts with positive patients going back to the first day of symptoms. A person who contracts COVID-19 can be infectious for days, if not two weeks, before becoming symptomatic.

Pettit's advice in this situation: act as if you've been infected or people around you are infected. People on social media worry too much about where a person who has tested positive might live or where they might have been. That's ignoring the fact that you can be exposed to COVID-19 anywhere at any time.

"We do have community spread in both Orleans and Genesee counties, which means you can literally get it from anywhere," Pettit said. "It's not important to know exactly where a person (who tests positive) is from. We all move around. It's just important to maintain the six-foot separation and the other recommendations that are out there."

If there is a major increase in hospitalized cases, United Memorial Medical Center is ready, said Dan Ireland, the hospital's CEO.

The hospital has canceled elective surgeries, freed up bed space, implemented telehealth calls where possible, established a drive-thru area for triage, identified areas to create bed space, and has plans phases one, two, and three of increases in capacity if needed.

The hospital can currently handle about 80 patients for COVID-19 treatment.

Most hospitalized patients, Ireland indicated, won't need a "negative pressure" rooms, which is a room to a person who is coughing and sneezing a lot, which means they are spraying an aerosol of COVID-19 into the room, and the building, they're in. And only a minority of hospitalized patients will have such difficulty breathing that they will need a ventilator.

If needed for a phase two surge expansion, the hospital could add 45 beds for patients.

Right now, the hospital could expand to about 12 negative pressure rooms.

"That could go as high as fifteen with our current supply of equipment," Ireland said. "So it is a moving target because if we can get more negative pressure fans with the filters on than we can convert rooms as we need to."

As for ventilators -- the most important piece of equipment needed to save the lives of the most seriously ill patients -- there are currently seven ventilators for more serious cases available and ten for less serious cases plus the hospital has access to two more if needed, plus there are five or six anesthesiology units that can be converted to ventilators if needed.

Multiple readers of The Batavian have asked about sewing homemade masks to distribute.

For protective measures for health care personal, those masks will be inadequate, both Pettit and Ireland indicated. Even N95 masks, which some local people and companies might have in reserve, might not meet medical needs because of the need for custom fitting.

However, that doesn't mean donations aren't appreciated. Standards may change and supplies run low; and, as for the rest of us wearing masks, Pettit didn't rule that out but said the best course of action remains to follow the protocols for staying at home as much as possible and social distancing.

"We've got to be careful with masks," Pettit said. "Having a mask on or any barrier is better than none ... (but) the recommendation is still not to be walking around and wearing masks. The recommendation is to stay home, help mitigate, keep six feet away from people, and the mask and wearing them is not going to be as vital."

In December, Andy and Laura Pedro purchased Blondies Sip-N-Dip on East Main Street Road in Batavia. Today, they officially opened for the spring, summer, and fall seasons.

Because of social distancing restrictions, right now, they can't serve walk-in customers but they have opened a walk-up window and they can use that window to service drive-thru customers.

"Not ideal," said Andy, "but we'll make it work."

Scheduled for 4 p.m.: Genesee County's COVID-19 Briefing for March 27, 2020

UPDATE: Paul Pettit, health director, just announced there are now seven positive cases in Genesee County, which means in the past 24 hours, there are three additional people who have tested positive for COVID-19. Three people are hospitalized. Yesterday, there were two.

UPDATE: Here's the written briefing from the Department of Health.

New Cases

• As of 2 p.m. today:
  • Genesee County received three new positive cases of COVID-19 for a total of seven positive cases;
  • One over the age of 65 residing in central Genesee County;
  • One over the age of 65 residing in central Genesee County;
  • One person under the age of 65 residing in Western Genesee County;
  • Currently three of the seven positive cases under mandatory isolation are in the hospital;
  • None of the new positive cases were under precautionary or mandatory quarantine when they became symptomatic; and are not believed to be connected.
• For Orleans: No new positive cases have been reported today.
• Contact tracing has been initiated for all the new cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if indicated (if symptoms becomes present). If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated. Limited information is provided to the public in compliance with HIPAA regulations and out of the respect of those impacted by this virus. When, and if, there is a situation where potential contact is made in a public location where contact tracing doesn’t have actual names we will send out a media announcement to help seek contacts.

Cumulative Data

• To Date:Genesee County has received 75 negative test results and Orleans County has received 74 negative test results for COVID-19. These negative tests give us a good indicator of what’s going on in our community. As discussed before, Flu continues to be prevalent with eight in Orleans and 22 in Genesee for the week ending 3/14. This data continues to show a high number of respiratory illness in our counties is not COVID-19
• Orleans County: Six people are under precautionary quarantine, eight people are under mandatory quarantine, and four people are under mandatory isolation, one of whom is hospitalized and three are recovering at home (one out of county).
• Genesee County: 17 people are under precautionary quarantine, 34 people are under mandatory quarantine, and four people are recovering under mandatory isolation at home and three people are under mandatory isolation and are hospitalized.
• Healthcare providers are advising patients undergoing swabbing that are symptomatic (based on availability and screening for high-risk) for COVID-19 to self-isolate until test results are received and COVID-19 is ruled out. Follow your healthcare provider’s advice.
• Currently, NYS clearance protocol for discontinuation of mandatory isolation for persons with confirmed COVID-19 is the following: it has been at least seven days since the initial positive test for COVID-19, at least three days without fever and no use of fever-reducing medication, improvement in the signs and symptoms of the illness and two negative swabs at least 24 hours apart. Swabbing through the Health Departments is warranted as part of our quarantine/isolation protocol for those who become symptomatic.We are not providing community testing at this time. We will be announcing further information on this as local capacity increases.
• Please remain home if ill, with all of the directives regarding social distancing that are still be in place, especially if a person has a negative COVID-19 result it is important to limit physical contact. Flu and COVID-19 are still transmittable and people should continue to remain home and limiting contact with others. Do not be afraid of people because they may be coughing or sneezing, they may have allergies, but continue to keep your distance (at least 6 feet).
• Respect / Social Responsibility / Fear mongering / Consequences – A reminder Genesee and Orleans Counties are small counties where just about everyone "knows your name," with that in mind the Health Departments are mandated to adhere to HIPAA regulations, therefore, we are not releasing potential identifying information of anyone who is under our care.
  • If during contact tracing there is an issue of missing potential contacts we will provide locations. Not everyone who coughs or sneezes has a respiratory virus. People need to be respectful of the process and the guidance surrounding social distancing. COVID-19 is now community transmissible, therefore people need to take social distancing seriously.
  • There are consequences for not adhering to the directives. Noncompliance may prolong the spread of COVID-19 as well as increasing the spread which can overwhelm our healthcare systems.
  • Sticking to the basics, limiting exposure to the public, frequent handwashing, staying home if ill with any respiratory illness, keeping 6 feet distance from other people and sharing creative ideas to keep in touch with family and friends are what we need. 
  • Talking about who has or hasn’t been tested, is sick or sharing rumors about anything COVID-19 is increasing anxiety in many people. Be respectful and stay home as much as possible. It is safe to go outside or for a ride, but be mindful to keep at least 6’ distance between other people.

OPERATIONAL UPDATES

• Community Spread: Locations of positive cases are not indicative (telling) of where potential exposures can occur. It is not vital to know locations as the virus is considered to be everywhere. That is why we encourage everyone to continue with social distancing, frequent handwashing, proper cough/sneeze hygiene and frequent disinfecting of frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Medical Concerns: If you feel you may have COVID-19, call your primary care provider or healthcare facility ahead of time. DO NOT GO DIRECTLY THERE, CALL AHEAD TO GET GUIDANCE. Swabbing will be based on those who are in higher-risk categories – elderly and immune-compromised and those with underlying health issues.
  • Swab sample results are coming back slower than expected. With more testing, we expect this will continue. Whenever anyone is swabbed for potential COVID-19, self-isolation is advised until the test result is received.
• Snowbirds are returning to our counties: They may have returned from areas not hit as hard as New York, may have been exposed while out of state, and/or are members of the higher-risk population (over 65 / underlying health issues) we encourage you to self-isolate and monitor your health. 
  • If you become symptomatic, call your healthcare provider for guidance.
  • Some may be concerned about exposure when going for supplies and prescription refills – many stores and pharmacies are providing special hours for seniors and people with underlying healthcare issues. There are also several stores/restaurants that provide curbside pick-up and delivery services call ahead and ask.
  • Check-in with family and friends and your social networks via phone or electronic means often to limit loneliness.
• Toilet Paper: A reminder that flushing non-traditional toilet paper, such as tissues, paper towels, baby wipes and more will more than likely cause plumbing issues. On-site septic systems and public sewers are not built to handle these types of materials and will cause problems. If you are using nontraditional products as toilet paper, they are to be thrown in the trash receptacles.

FRAUD ALERT

• At this time there are no FDA-approved drugs or treatments for COVID-19.
• There are also no over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. If you get an email, phone call, offer by mail or other solicitation for these scams, hang up and ignore them.
• This is a very important warning to reinforce for every County resident.
• The best medical advice for you comes from your healthcare provider.

NEW YORK STATE CASES / RESTRICTIONS / GUIDANCE

• Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today at his 11:30 a.m. press conference there are 16,272 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 44,635 positive cases in New York State.
• 6,481 (15 percent) COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.
• In today’s Governor’s briefing, he stated schools are to remain closed for another two weeks and will be reassessed then. Locally our schools are monitoring the local impact and making decisions on a week-by-week basis as to when schools will reopen. Continue to follow your local school guidance.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS! You have the right to a safe workplace. Federal laws state that your employer must provide a work area with no known health or safety hazards. You also have the right to: 

Press release:

Empire Access announced today that the company is providing more than 25 TV channels at no additional charge to their TV customers. Empire TV customers who do not currently subscribe to select channels will have access for 30 days at no additional cost.

“Our company is pleased to announce this 30-day free preview," said Frank Pilling, vice president of Empire Access. "We understand many families are spending more time indoors due to the impact of the coronavirus, and it’s important to offer our customers extra TV programming options during this difficult time."

As part of the 30-day free preview, Empire Access is giving current TV cutomers access to channels that may not currently be included in their subscription. Free preview channels include:

SHOWTIME® -- Enjoy a free trial of premium channels from March 27 – April 25, complements of Showtime and Empire Access.

• On SHOWTIME® watch the final season of Homeland, plus other critically acclaimed original series like Billions® and Shameless.
• Get 30 days of Hallmark, Travel, DIY Network, Disney Junior, Disney XD, HDNET Movies, and many more.

Beginning today, Empire Access TV customers will automatically have access to the additional channels. For a complete list of the 30-day free preview channels, visit our website at www.empireaccess.com/freepreview or call our office at 1-800-338-3300.

New York has delayed its plastic bag ban because of the coronavirus crisis until May 15 and Tops in Batavia is allowing customers the option of plastic bags, a spokeswoman for the grocery store chain said.

"Tops is temporarily not enforcing (the plastic bag ban) in order to help with sanitation concerns surrounding reusable bags and COVID-19," Kathleen A. Sautter said. "If a customer brings in a reusable bag and does not bag their own groceries themselves, the cashier will then bag their groceries in either a plastic or paper bag free of charge. This procedure will be rolled out at all of our stores until further notice."

UPDATE: This morning (March 27), Tops spokeswoman Kathleen A. Sautter corrected the information she provided Friday to say that paper bags will cost customers 5 cents each, but plastic will be free.

Press release:

More than 80,500 initial Unemployment Insurance claims were filed last week, and overall claims increased by more than 520 percent over the past year, according to statistics released Thursday (March 26) by the New York State Department of Labor.

The claims data for New York State for the week ending March 21 --  the first week in which claims were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic -- show an increase by a minimum of 284 percent in each of New York’s 10 labor market regions.

Additional information about New York State’s UI claims, including regional and industry, will be forthcoming.

From Monday, March 16 to Saturday, March 21, the New York State Department of Labor received more than 1,734,100 total calls and over 2,270,300 web hits.

DOL has taken a number of steps to address this unprecedented increase in call volume and web traffic, including implementing a new, more efficient filing system based on the first letter of the applicant's last name (alphabetical order):

A  - F : Monday
G – N : Tuesday
O – Z : Wednesday
Missed your day: Thursday through Saturday

The New York State Department of Labor is dedicated to ensuring that every New Yorker who is entitled to UI benefits will receive all benefits due. New Yorkers seeking to file UI claims can visit labor.ny.gov or call the Telephone Claim Center at 1-888-783-1370.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, Democratic congressional candidate in the April 28th Special Election in NY-27, called on Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature to reschedule the April 28th Special Election due to the coronavirus crisis and its growing threat to Western New Yorkers.

McMurray criticized opponent Chris Jacobs’ insistence to hold the upcoming election despite significant public health risk and election commission boards that have limited time and resources.

“We are in a war right now to preserve public health, at a war with this virus," McMurray said. "Our election commissioners and local leaders are unified in calling for a delay in the Special Election. I fought for this seat for over three years, I know how important it is that NY-27 gets representation.

"My opponent doesn’t seem to get the risk, nothing is more important than the health of our people. Jacobs’ push to move forward is both selfish and reckless. Why is Jacobs advocating for the same April 28 election date that the Republican Party originally sued to prevent?He is facing a heated primary in June and restricting the voice of the people on April 28th will benefit him.

"His concern should not be his political ambitions but the health and well-being of the people of Western New York. This is the same man who voted against paying victims of the coronavirus; he voted against sick leave. His uncle's business Delaware North, which funds his campaign, embarrassed Western New York this week by putting thousands of employees on leave without pay and creating a backlash from Buffalo to Boston.

"The Jacobs family are the only NHL franchise owners not to pay its employees benefits during this pandemic. These hardworking employees deserve more."

Earlier this week, the New York State Elections Commissioners’ Association called for immediate action by the Governor and New York State Legislature to protect the electoral process during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Association, a bipartisan good government group that includes election commissioners from across the state, cited critical shortages of inspectors and polling places due to the ongoing health crisis.

There are 15,000 coronavirus cases in New York State, a number that is expected to peak in 14 to 21 days and accounts for 5 percent of the worldwide total. Since Sunday, the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations has doubled and cases in the ICU have risen 82 percent.

A two-vehicle collision with minor injuries is reported in front of Miss Batavia Diner at 566 E. Main St. in the city. City fire and Mercy medics are responding.

This morning we're talking with Tom Christensen, executive director Mental Health Association of Genesee and Orleans.

Our apologies to anybody who tried to watch this live. The live feed didn't go through to YouTube for some reason. But we did record the call so here is the full video of the interview.

Tom Christensen mentioned some helpful phone numbers during the conversation. Here are the numbers:

• MHA in Niagara County Peer Information Line: 716-433-5432 (8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday)
• MHA of Genesee & Orleans Counties WarmLine: 585-813-0072 (5 – 8:30 p.m. daily, including weekends)
• Crisis TextLine: text MHA to 741-741 (24/7)
• GCASA Peer Recovery Advocates: 585-815-1800 (24/7)
• Genesee/Orleans Care and Crisis HelpLine: 585-283-5200 (24/7)

We're talking with Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

Video of this morning's briefing by Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Accompanying press release:

• The goal is having a 1,000-Plus Patient Overflow Facility in each NYC Borough and Downstate counties.
• An additional 12,000 health professionals have signed up to volunteer as part of the State's Surge Healthcare Force since yesterday -- bringing total number of volunteers to more than 52,000;
• More than 8,600 mental health professionals have now signed up to provide free online mental health services;
• Confirms 6,448 additional coronavirus cases in New York State -- bringing statewide total to 37,258; new cases in 39 counties;

Governor Cuomo: "Our goal is to have a 1,000-plus overflow facility in each of the boroughs Downstate in the counties, Queens, Brooklyn, the New York City boroughs, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester, and Rockland, so every county has a 1,000-plus-bed overflow facility and that's what we're working on at the same time, as well as increasing the capacity of the existing hospital system.

"During this difficult time let's listen to the voices of our better angels as individuals, as families, as a community, and as a society. We're going to get through this. The only question is how we get through it and when we get through it. But let's make sure at the end of the day that we can say we are the better for it and our children are the better for it -- and I believe they will be."

Earlier today, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced the state is scouting additional new sites for temporary hospitals, with a goal of having a 1,000-plus patient overflow facility in each NYC borough as well as Westchester, Rockland, Nassau and Suffolk counties.

These new additions, together with the temporary hospitals that are being built at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center and locations at SUNY Stony Brook, SUNY Old Westbury and the Westchester Convention Center, are aimed at building thousands of new beds to bolster existing hospital capacity, with the goal of being open to patients in early -- to mid-April. The state is also preparing college dormitories and hotels for emergency beds.

The Governor also announced that an additional 12,000 healthcare workers, including retirees and students, have signed up to volunteer to work as part of the state's surge healthcare force during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, bringing the total number of volunteers to more than 52,000.

Additionally, more than 8,600 mental health professionals, including individuals from other states, have now signed up to provide free online mental health services. New Yorkers can call the state's hotline at 1-844-863-9314 to schedule a free appointment.

A rush transcript of the Governor's remarks is available below:

Good morning. Top of the morning to you. The people with us today, to my right is James Malatras, president of the SUNY Empire College, to my left Melissa DeRosa, to her left, Robert Mujica, budget director, back of the room, my daughter Cara, who is doing a great job.

Let's talk about what's going on today. First, what I try to communicate in these briefings are the facts of the situation. Facts can be uplifting, they can be depressing at times, they can be confusing at times, but I think facts are empowering. You know, in a situation like this, not knowing the facts is worse because that's when feel out of control or when you feel that you're getting selective facts, or you're being deceived by the information you're getting. That is actually the worst situation.

So what I say to my people in every situation, just give me the facts first and then let me understand what the situation and the reality is and then we'll go from there, so that's what I try to do.

The facts on this situation are increasingly important on two levels: public health but also the economic facts. We've been focusing on the public health facts and the response of the public health system to the virus. More and more we now have to deal on two fronts. We have to deal with the public health situation but we also have to deal with the economic situation and I'll get to that in a moment.

Public health, we've had a two-prong agenda, which we've been pursuing aggressively. We still are flattening the curve so you reduce the flow into the hospital system. At the same time increase the hospital capacity. What we're looking for is not a reduction in in the number of cases. We're looking for a reduction in the rate of the increase in the number of cases. That's what comes first when you're starting to make progress. The rate of increase should reduce, as opposed to the number of absolute cases. So that's what we're looking for.

The optimum is when they talk about the apex of the curve is not to have an apex and that's what the flattening is, not to have that spike because the spike is where you would overwhelm the hospital systems that try to get down that rate of increase so you can actually handle it in the hospital system and that's what they talk about by the flattening of the curve.

Just as an aside, Dr. Anthony Fauci has been so kind and helpful to me. I speak to healthcare professionals all across the globe literally but Dr. Fauci I think is just brilliant at this and he has been so personally kind. I called him late at night. I called him in the middle of the night. I called him in the morning and he's been really a friend to me personally and the State of New York.

So this is all about getting that curve down and not overwhelming the hospital system. Almost any scenario that is realistic will overwhelm the capacity of the current health care system so little reality -- keep the curve down as low as you can but you cannot get fit curve down low enough so that you don't overwhelm the hospital capacity.

So any of these scenarios we have to increase the hospital capacity and that's why we're literally adding to the hospital capacity everywhere we can. That's what the Javits Hospital is about, that's what the Stony Brook hospital is about, that's what Westchester Convention Center, that's what the Old Westbury additional site is.

We're also scouting new sites now all across, primarily the downstate area of this state, for possible sites. Our goal is to have a 1,000-plus overflow facility in each of the boroughs downstate in the counties, Queens, Brooklyn, the New York City boroughs, Bronx, Manhattan, Staten Island and Long Island, Nassau, Suffolk and Westchester and Rockland, so every county has a 1000-plus-bed overflow facility and that's what we're working on at the same time, as well as increasing the capacity of the existing hospital system.

As we've said the hospitals have a 53,000-bed capacity. We're trying get to 140,000-bed capacity between the hospitals and the overflow facilities. We've mandated that the hospitals increased their capacity by 50 percent. We've asked them to try to increase it 100 percent but they have to increase it 50 percent. We're also scouting dorms, scouting hotels for emergency beds and that's going well.

Equipment and PPE is an ongoing issue. Right now we do have enough PPE for the immediate future. The New York City hospital system confirm that so we have enough in stock now for the immediate need. Ventilators, ventilators, ventilators. I didn't know what they were a few weeks ago besides the cursory knowledge. I know too much about ventilators now. We're still shopping for ventilators all across the country. We need more.

We have approved the technology that allows one ventilator to serve two patients -- what they call splitting. Which is when you add a second set of tubes to a ventilator to do two patients. It's not ideal, but we believe it's workable. We're also converting anesthesia machines to ventilators. We have a couple of thousand anesthesia machines in our hospitals and we're converting them to work as ventilators.

Why is there such a demand on ventilators? And where did this come from? It's a respiratory illness for a large number of people. So, they all need ventilators. Also, non-COVID patients are normally on ventilators for three to four days. COVID patients are on ventilators for 11 to 21 days. Think about that. So you don't have the same turnaround in the number of ventilators. If somebody is on ventilators for three or four days, that's one level of ventilators you need. If somebody is on for 11 to 21 days, that's a totally different equation and that's what we're dealing with. The high number of COVID patients and the long period of time that they actually need a ventilator.

We're also working on equalizing and distributing the load of patients. Right now, the number of cases is highest in Downstate New York. So we're working on a collaboration where we distribute the load between Downstate hospitals and Upstate hospitals. And we're also working on increasing the capacity for Upstate hospitals.

Shifting now to a totally different field: the economic consequences of what's going on which have just really gelled after what the federal government has done and we were waiting for the federal action to determine where we were from a point of revenues and economics.

What's happening to a state government -- any state. It's happening to a city government, is a double whammy. You have increased expenses because of the COVID virus and you have a tremendous loss of revenue because all those businesses are closed and all those people are out of work. People are out of work, they're not earning income, they're not paying income tax. Businesses are closed, they're not making money, they're not paying business revenue.

Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported today by the Genesee County Health Department and the department is also reporting that two people with coronavirus are now hospitalized.

It's unclear from the news release if the two new positives are the two cases hospitalized or if one of the previous positive cases (there were two as of yesterday) is now hospitalized.

One of the new positives is under age 65 and resides in the central part of Genesee County. The second positive case is over age 65 and also resides in the central part of Genesee County. Based on the investigation so far, these cases are not connected.

Contact tracing has been started on both new positive cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine. People placed on mandatory quarantine must remain in quarantine for 14 days. If they become symptomatic, they are tested for COVID-19.

If the test is positive, the patient is placed in mandatory isolation. If two tests come back negative, the mandatory quarantine is lifted; however, ill patients are still expected to avoid contact with other people.

In Genesee County, there are 18 people under precautionary quarantine and 26 people are under mandatory quarantine.

Yesterday, there were 21 people under mandatory quarantine.

It's unknown if any of the people who were previously placed under mandatory quarantine are among the new positive cases.

There have been 61 negative test results in Genesee County.

The Health Department does not provide a breakout of how many people have been tested by the Health Department and how many have been tested by private health providers. Most of the tests being conducted are being conducted by private providers, we have been told previously.

Private providers are required to instruct patients who are tested to self-quarantine until test results are returned. If the result is negative, the patient is asked to continue to self-quarantine for until a total of 14 days have been reached from the last date of travel or last exposure.

Orleans County has one new positive case in the past 24 hours with four people total in mandatory isolation after testing positive for COVID-19, and one of those cases is hospitalized.

In Wyoming County, there are seven positive cases but one resident is out of the county and had no close contacts with anybody in Wyoming County.

The full press release:

New Cases

• As of 2 p.m. today:
  • Genesee County received two new positive cases of COVID-19
  • Orleans County received one new positive case.
• For Genesee: One positive case is under the age of 65 and resides in the central part of Genesee County. The second positive case is over the age of 65 and also resides in the central part of the county. Based on the ongoing investigation, these cases are not connected. These two individuals are under mandatory isolation and are in the hospital.
• For Orleans: The new positive case is under the age of 65 and is a resident of the central part of the county. This individual is being isolated in an adjacent county
• Contact tracing has been initiated for all the new cases. Known contacts have already been placed under mandatory quarantine and will be swabbed if indicated (if symptoms becomes present). If a person is identified as a contact, they will be notified by the County Health Department, quarantined and if warranted, swabbed if indicated.

Cumulative Data

• To Date: Genesee County has received 61 negative test results and Orleans County has received 61 negative test results for COVID-19.
• Orleans County: Six people are under precautionary quarantine, eight people are under mandatory quarantine, and four people are under mandatory isolation one of whom is hospitalized and three are recovering at home (one out of county).
• Genesee County: 18 people are under precautionary quarantine, 26 people are under mandatory quarantine, and two people are under mandatory isolation at home and two people are under mandatory isolation and are hospitalized.
• Healthcare providers must advise patients undergoing testing for COVID-19 to self-isolate until testing is resulted and COVID-19 is ruled out.
  • If COVID-19 testing results are positive, patients must be continued on mandatory isolation as noted below:
  • IF a patient was on mandatory or precautionary quarantine when tested and results for COVID-19 are negative, healthcare providers must advise patients to continue quarantine until 14 days after last travel or exposure to a known case (per public authorities).
  • If a patient was not previously on quarantine and was tested for illness consistent with COVID-19, once the result is negative and COVID-19 is ruled out, the patient may be advised that they need not be on quarantine.
• Currently, NYS clearance protocol for discontinuation of mandatory isolation for persons with confirmed COVID-19 is the following: it has been at least seven days since the initial positive test for COVID-19, at least three days without fever and no use of fever-reducing medication, improvement in the signs and symptoms of the illness and two negative swabs at least 24-hours apart. Swabbing through the Health Departments is warranted as part of our quarantine / isolation protocol for those who become symptomatic. We are not providing community testing at this time.
• Please remain home if ill, with all of the directives regarding social distancing that are still be in place, especially if a person has a negative COVID-19 result it is important to limit physical contact. The flu and COVID-19 are still transmittable and people should continue to remain home and limiting contact with others. Do not be afraid of people because they may be coughing or sneezing, they may have allergies, but continue to keep your distance (at least 6 feet).

OPERATIONAL UPDATES

• If you feel you may have COVID-19, call your primary care provider or healthcare facility ahead of time. DO NOT GO DIRECTLY THERE, CALL AHEAD TO GET GUIDANCE. Swabbing will be based on those who are at higher risk categories – elderly and immune compromised and those with underlying health issues.
• Swab sample results are coming back slower than expected. With more testing, we expect this will continue. Whenever anyone is swabbed for potential COVID-19, self-isolation is advised until the test result is received.

RETURNING SNOWBIRDS / Those at Higher-Risk

• We encourage people to seek creative ways to keep in touch, especially for those who are returning home from their winter residences and those who are older and/or have underlying health conditions. If you have access to the internet there are several applications that you can use for free to "connect" with family and friends.

NEW YORK STATE CASES / RESTRICTIONS / GUIDANCE

• Governor Andrew Cuomo announced today at his 11:30 a.m. press conference there are 6,448 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 37,258 positive cases in New York State.
• 5,327 (14 percent) COVID-19 patients are hospitalized.
• NYS is seeking volunteers to work as part of the state’s surge healthcare force, so far 40,000 have volunteered. To volunteer go to: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/get-involved-how-you-can-help

Press release:

New York’s farmers are among the best in the nation when it comes to supporting people in need through their regional food banks. This week, American Farm Bureau Federation recognized New York Farm Bureau’s Young Farmers and Ranchers (YF&R) program for its efforts to donate more than 7.3 million pounds of food to the regional food banks across the state last year.

That was the second highest donation total in the country, behind Florida. In addition, the county Farm Bureau YF&R committees throughout New York raised $14,421 in monetary donations and performed 223 of volunteer work for their area food banks in 2019.

The food is collected through the “Harvest for All” donation program, a nationwide annual farm donation partnership linking Farm Bureau and Feeding America in each state. In New York, NYFB’s YF&R Committee and Feeding New York State administer the statewide donation partnership. The food is then distributed among the 10 Feeding America food banks throughout the state.

NYFB’s YF&R Committee also received the Most Innovative Award from AFBF for its efforts to use Livingston County Farm Bureau’s popular Farm Fest event last September to assist with food collection efforts. Attendees helped pick sweet corn that was then delivered to the Avon Food Pantry. Sweet corn seed was generously donated by local dealer, Seedway, LLC. The host farm, Mulligan Farm, then planted and maintained the sweet corn throughout the summer.

Two planting dates were scheduled in hopes of the corn being ready for the day of Farm Fest. The event had volunteers at each station who assisted with picking and placing the corn into bags so it could later be transported. NYFB’s YF&R program was awarded two $250 checks for its efforts that will be donated to Feeding New York State.

Last year was a difficult one weather wise for New York agriculture. Spring rains delayed planting for farms in every region of the state, by several weeks in some instances, which in turn delayed harvest and overall food production. Some farms were unsure if they would have enough product to donate.

Despite the challenges, farmers came through in a big way. These efforts are continuing in 2020 with gleaning projects being planned for harvest season to secure fresh produce for the food banks. Unfortunately, the demand for food will likely be higher this year as the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing more New Yorkers who are out of work to turn to their food banks and local pantries.

Christina Kohler, New York Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers chair, said, “The YF&R members are proud to support the Harvest for All program for more than 15 years. In that time, farms in New York have given almost 106 million pounds of food to support the work by the regional food banks in our state. That translates into more than 88 million meals.

"Our members also volunteer with gleaning projects and fundraisers to make more fresh food accessible to New Yorkers in need. We look forward to continuing this partnership, and we encourage farmers across the state to remember their local food banks as an important way to give back or when they have excess product that would otherwise go to waste.”

David Fisher, New York Farm Bureau president, said, “Despite all the challenges farmers faced last year, their donations of more than seven million pounds of food is still a significant number. It reflects that even when times are tough, farmers step up to care for their neighbors and provide for their communities.

"We are proud to continue this great partnership with Feeding New York State and our outstanding regional food banks. I would like to thank all the farmers who have given during this past year and the regional food banks for helping get the food from the farm fields to people in need.”

Dan Egan, executive director of Feeding New York State, said, "The food banks of New York State are deeply grateful for the generous donations of fresh food from New York's farmers. It was a difficult year, but once again New York farmers stepped up and provided high quality food to our neighbors in need.

"In communities large and small, there are hungry people who would not otherwise be able to eat fresh food were it not for New York's farmers. Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts."

For more specific information on local food donation projects, please contact your regional food bank.

While the coronavirus continues to wreak havoc with normal life across the country, recipients of Meals on Wheels in Genesee County can rest assured their meal delivery will continue.

Paul Saskowski, director of Business Services for the Arc of Orleans and Genesee, said they have had to make adjustments, but their employees are taking things in stride, and all recipients are receiving their meals as usual.

He said for the most part they have had no trouble receiving food from their supplier, although he said the supplier has found it more difficult to get food, as the food chains are demanding more.

“The only trouble we’ve had is getting one of our whole wheat breads, but we were able to find a suitable substitute,” Saskowski said.

He said drivers are taking extra precautions, wearing gloves, keeping their distance and using hand sanitizer after every delivery. He said Emergency Management offices in both counties have been very helpful, providing hand sanitizer they had in reserve.

Both congregate meal sites in Orleans and Genesee counties were forced to close and five people in Orleans County and 30 in Genesee County, who relied on the meal sites, were transferred to home meal delivery.

Saskowski said they have a goal to provide each Meals on Wheels recipient with extra meals, so they have a stockpile of food in their house.

“It is our goal in Orleans County to provide each household with 10 extra meals, in case we are pulled off the road for any reason,” Saskowski said. “We are very close to that goal.”

In spite of all the adjustments, Saskowski praised his staff, saying their attitude through all of this has been wonderful.

In Genesee County, Office for the Aging Director Diana Fox and services administrator Dorian Ely weighed in on the situation.

“We are working to build emergency services here so we can provide two extra meals per recipient,” Fox said. “We are also very committed to keeping the personal contact with our clientele. Those who, for one reason or another, do not receive a meal that day get a call from us to make sure they are all right.”

Their drivers also wear masks and leave the meal just inside the door, unless the recipient needs it put in a more convenient place. Then the driver will put it where the client needs it to be, keeping his distance, Ely said.

Before starting out, volunteer drivers are encouraged to take their temperature to make sure they are all right.

Recent passing of Matilda’s Law by Albany has placed more hardship on the program, as many of their volunteers are elderly themselves, Fox and Ely added.

“The law sets a strict set of rules for the vulnerable populations, like senior citizens or people with underlying conditions,” Ely said. “Many of our volunteers fall into that category.”

Fox said Matilda’s Law* affects all seniors in Genesee County and it’s important everyone understands the law and how it pertains to them. The law states that these people must stay inside, not visit homes with multiple people and maintain six feet of distance from others.

The Arc delivers Meals on Wheels to about 120 homes in each county.

*Editor's Note: Matilda's Law, named for Gov. Andrew Cuomo's mother, was announced last week as part of the "New York on Pause" Executive Order, which took affect at 8 p.m. Sunday. It includes the following rules for vulnerable populations:

• Remain indoors;
• Can go outside for solitary exercise;
• Prescreen all visitors and aides by taking their temperature and seeing if person is exhibiting other flu-like symptoms;
• Do not visit households with multiple people;
• Wear a mask when in the company of others;
• To the greatest extent possible, everyone in the presence of vulnerable people should wear a mask;
• Always stay at least six feet away from individuals; and
• Do not take public transportation unless urgent and absolutely necessary.

Press release:

EAST BETHANY -- York State’s first county forest -- Genesee County Park & Forest -- has an Environmental Education Assistant Internship position open for May – August.

The position is administered through the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and is located at Genesee County Park & Forest in East Bethany. Applicants must be at least 18 years old with a high school diploma or GED and a U.S. citizen.

Environmental Education Assistants develop, organize, plan and lead environmental education programs to audiences of all ages in a wide variety of settings under the guidance of park staff. Environmental Education Assistants also coordinate the efforts of park volunteers.

Job duties include, but are not limited to:

• Conducting programs for schools, summer rec groups, scouts and the general public;
• Providing customer service to park visitors and program participants;
• Planning volunteer and park events;
• Writing articles for the parks seasonal newsletter;
• Marketing of park events, programs and resources;
• Scheduling and coordinating volunteers to assist with park events and projects;
• Providing training and orientation to new park volunteers.

SCA interns earn a stipend of $125/week while serving and are eligible for an education award of $1,612 that may be used for student loans, tuition, classes or future college costs.

This position requires 16 weeks of 40 hour/week of service from May until August. Hours are 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Flexibility is given in order to cover the prescheduled programs that are outside of the normal working hours within the 40-hour work week.

Additional benefits:

• First Aid/AED/CPR training provided;
• Experience and on-the-job training in environmental education and volunteer coordinating;
• Deeper knowledge of natural history and ecology;
• Job duties include volunteer outings (kayaking, hiking)
• Networking with professionals in Environmental Science and Education

The application deadline is April 10.

To apply: Apply online here.

For additional information contact Shannon Lyaski, Conservation Education Program coordinator at:   Shannon.Lyaski@co.genesee.ny.us.

Public Notice

David Miller, supervisor of the Town of Alexander, declared a State of Emergency at 10 a.m.. on Wednesday, March 25, 2020 and issued Emergency Orders effective at 10 a.m. March 25, 2020.

Town of Alexander Town Offices and Highway Garage are closed to the public for five  days unless rescinded earlier or renewed in five-day increments.

Taxes, dog licenses and other payments or applications may be placed in the drop box located near the front door of the Town Hall, or mailed to the Town Hall at 3350 Church Street, Alexander, New York 14005.

Receipts will be mailed to you after they have been processed.

The Alexander Town Clerk is also available by email at:   clerkax@rochester.rr.com

David Miller

Supervisor of the Town of Alexander

We're talking with Genesee County Historian Michael Eula about the 1918 global flu pandemic, better known as the "Spanish Flu" and its impact on Batavia.

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