It was a very different atmosphere in O'Lacy's Irish Pub in Batavia tonight -- St. Patrick's Day, an evening when O'Lacy's should be brimming with life and overflowing with Guinness.

Instead, it was quiet, perhaps even a bit melancholy, as the community adjusts to social distancing in the era of coronavirus.  

The good news is, O'Lacy's sold out of corned beef and cabbage dinners.

It was also a good night for take-out at Eli Fish (including take-out brews --  yes, local bars and restaurants can serve you take-out alcohol during the present executive directive). Other restaurant owners we spoke with said they are cautiously optimistic about how things will work out now that there is a temporary prohibition about on-site dining and drinking in bars and restaurants.

Click here for a list of local establishments offering delivery and pickup.

"Onward"

Genesee County Health Department personnel are investigating the circumstances that have resulted in an individual over the age of 65 becoming the first person to contract the COVID-19 virus in Genesee County.

“We’re just building the story,” said Paul A. Pettit, public health director for Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments said at today’s media briefing at the Old County Courthouse in Batavia. “Part of epidemiology, when we get these confirmed cases, is we have to go backwards. We have to try to identify those. We are literally making those calls as I'm speaking right now.”

Pettit said he couldn’t comment with “any validity” where the person may have been prior to becoming symptomatic and where they were at the moment, but his staff aims to find those answers.

“We will again be assessing and looking at where the story takes us because we have to investigate this and try to figure out and build those contacts,” he said. “Obviously, you've seen in other cases in surrounding counties, depending on unknown, if they were at an event, at a church service, at a faith-based event, or if they were at other another community event.”

Pettit said the infected person was in mandatory quarantine once he or she became symptomatic, and has remained there and has been “very compliant.”

“We’ve been checking on the person daily and now they are under mandatory isolation,” he added.

Previously, he had indicated that the person had not traveled -- which means he or she was infected by community transmission – and that the patient is isolated at home.

He said the person has been at home since being put in mandatory quarantine and “remains there and stable.”

“They are not under any severe respiratory distress, and fortunately in this case, there are other folks that live in the building (that has) separate living arrangements,” he said. “This individual has been again under quarantine and separated. So there has not been a contact that we're aware of. Again, we're still investigating a little more going backwards. But at the moment, again, there's no known contact with others in that dwelling at the moment.”

Pettit explained that his department is following the Center for Disease Control guidelines in New York State regarding clearance of a patient.

“Essentially it's a minimum of seven days following the positive test results and they have to actually have two clearance samples after seven days, 24 hours apart that are both negative,” he stated. “So, if you look at that from a time period, it's going to be a minimum of eight days. Again, that's assuming they test negative after that. Those initial tests are those initial swabs. They also have to be fever free without any type of fever-reducing medication.”

Beyond the one confirmed case, Pettit said there are 11 other Genesee County residents under precautionary quarantine and two others under mandatory quarantine. In Orleans County, he said there are no positive cases of the coronavirus, none under precautionary quarantine and five people under mandatory quarantine.

He emphasized that for accurate information, people should go to the Genesee or Orleans health department websites, which are updated each day at 5 o’clock.

“Rumors and things flying around and we just want to make sure we're transparent and we're providing you guys the most up-to-date current information that we can,” he said.

Pettit opened the session by talking about the importance of the public to do everything in its power to protect first responders.

“We only have so many of them right in our communities, and the last thing we want to do is have them removed from the response field,” he said. “It's very important that if you are calling, again, with a lifesaving emergency, we need to call 9-1-1. We need to respond to that incident. But if they're not life-saving situations, we need to make sure we're protecting our folks.”

He said if first responders get exposed to confirmed cases, they will be sidelined and a shortage of highly trained professionals will result.

Responding to questions from the media, Pettit said:

-- The two people under mandatory quarantine in Genesee County did not come into contact with the infected person, noting that “we're right now starting that contact tracing. So, at the moment, these are these are separate individuals.”

-- The health departments’ staff is holding up despite the hectic pace, “working very long days and doing their job and they’re happy to do their best to protect our residents and make sure that you have the most recent and up-to-date information.”

“We have great folks that are working for our counties, not just in the health department, but from all these departments and folks that represent you,” he said. “They work daily to protect and to provide services to our residents. You know, they're holding up. It's been busy. It's been busy this last couple of weeks, particularly when we started seeing cases here across New York state and now cases locally.”

-- The health department is not “swabbing,” but is performing mandatory daily checks if it’s a mandatory quarantine.

“We’re going out there once a day, verifying that they're being compliant with quarantine. We're also calling them once a day. When we do that, they're checking their temperature. We're asking if they have any type of respiratory symptoms. And, you know, that's how we're monitoring. If they report that they are symptomatic during that quarantine period, we would swab them to see if it is COVID-19. And then again, if they're positive from that point, they move over to mandatory isolation.”

-- He and his colleagues are frustrated over the inability to get their hands on some swab kits.

“We’re working with Tim (Yaeger) and Dale Banker (emergency management coordinators), putting in orders every day trying to get these and we're not alone,” he said. “If you look at all the other counties in Western New York, we are all screaming for these swabbing kits. And the guidance still is to go through your primary care provider. You've got to remember again, as we continue to talk about influenza, seasonal flu is still prevalent in our community. Just because you have respiratory illness does not mean you have COVID-19.”

-- He acknowledges the severe impact upon the business community, specifically restaurants, and that is why it is essential for people to separate to “flatten the curve” and shorten the impact of the virus.

“The main goal here is to get folks apart from one another, you know, so obviously restaurants, movie theaters, other places where people gather on a regular basis. Again, we have large groupings, you know, 30, 40, 100 people together. And again, what we know about disease transmission, again, airborne disease transmission, if we have folks together, if we have folks congregating, this virus can be passed easily.”

He said the virus can infect people within six feet of each other and it can stay alive and airborne for up to three hours.

“We need to flatten the curve. We need to push it out. We know we're going to see more cases. I mean, that's to be expected. Typically, under normal circumstances, when somebody is exposed, they're going to infect at least 2.2 additional people. So, with that in mind, the goal here is to get folks apart. So, we can lower that number, flatten the curve, push it out and free up our capacity and our health care system so we can again handle those folks over time.”

Genesee County Manager Jay Gsell noted that the county is following a directive from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo concerning establishments, particularly restaurants and gathering places where meals are served.

“We are following the guidelines and the dictates,” he said. “We have not made up our own set of rules and regulations.”

In closing, Pettit said his staff and all agencies at the forefront of the pandemic are “doing our best” and ask for people to be as patient as possible.

“We understand the anxiety is there. We will have more information as soon as we can and maybe community swabbing locations or drive-thru swabbing sites,” he said. “We're currently developing those and putting them together. We'll have information on where those will be and when they'll be in the criteria.”

“The other thing I would ask is that people continue to be understanding and patient, that we need to really focus on those that are adversely impacted and that is our elderly -- and those with immune-compromised health issues. So, you know, if you're healthy and you're symptomatic and you're looking for the swab, we're going to try to accommodate you. But we need to again put our resources where we know they're being hardest impacted.”

Press release from Genesee County Clerk Michael Cianfrini:

Due to the risks associated with the novel coronavirus, and after consultation with relevant health professionals, the County Clerk’s Recording Office will be closed to the public effective Wednesday, March 18^th.

We will unfortunately not be able to process pistol permit amendments, passport applications, DBA filings or in-office real estate recordings.

All users are strongly encouraged to use the eFiling, eRecording and online search capabilities that our office offers. 

Please be advised that the office will maintain minimal staff in the office to process mail transactions and electronically submitted transactions. For any paper filings or searches that are not time sensitive, please hold off on filing or recording until this necessary restriction can be lifted.

Please visit our website for information on obtaining a subscription to access our records online. Civil filings can continue to be submitted through the NYSCEF eFiling system. Real estate documents and other recordings can still be submitted electronically through either Simplifile or CSC.  

In addition, the Genesee County DMV will also be closed to the public effective Wednesday, March 18^th.

While we will not be open to the public, the office will continue to process certain transactions submitted either through the drop box or U.S. Mail. For registration renewals, please sign the back of the registration invite and make your check or money order payable to the “Genesee County Clerk."

Driver’s License renewals can be submitted via mail and will require the following:

• An eye test report (MV-619) or you may visit any Vision Registry Location and the results will be electronically forwarded to the DMV.  
• Enclose the paper invitation sent to you in the mail, or you may obtain a form MV-44 on the MY DMV website.  Make the check or money order payable to the “Genesee County Clerk.”

License plate surrenders can be dropped off with $1 cash and a written address to return the receipt to.

A clear and complete copy of a CDL Medical Examiners Certificate may also be deposited in the drop box with a valid phone number on the back.  We will fax the certificate and notify you when it is processed in the DMV system (takes approximately two weeks).

We also remind everyone that during this period the public can utilize the DMV services available online to complete many DMV transactions.

As County Clerk, I recognize the inconvenience that these restrictions place on the public, but please understand that the interests of public health and the health of the County Clerk staff are of utmost concern. It is our sincere hope that these measures can be lifted as soon as the public health officials deem prudent.

A State of Emergency is hereby declared in the City of Batavia, New York for a period of time beginning at 4:30 p.m. on March 17, 2020 and continuing in effect for a period not to exceed five (5) days.

The State of Emergency has been declared due to emergency conditions produced by: the continuing Nationally declared state of emergency, the New York State declared state of emergency, the County of Genesee declared state of emergency, and the anticipated arrival of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in the City of Batavia.

Such conditions threaten or imperil the public health or safety of the citizens of this municipality.

As Chief Executive of this municipality, I have exercised the authority given to me under New York State Executive Law, Article 2-B, to preserve the public safety and hereby render all required and available assistance vital to the security, well-being and health of the citizens of the City.

I hereby direct all City Departments to take those steps necessary to protect life and property, public health and infrastructure and other such emergency assistance as deemed necessary. In addition, I direct the following specific actions.

1.            The Liberty Center for Youth remains closed until further notice.

2.            All City offices are closed to the public. The City will conduct business with the public remotely through the use of phones, computers, mail, or other means. These offices are otherwise closed to the public, unless a situation requires interaction with a member of the public as determined by the respective City department on a case by case basis. The drop box for the payment of bills is still available at the front of City Hall.

3.            City Council meetings will be closed to the public until further notice. Provision will be made for the public to observe or otherwise remotely participate in City Council meetings.

4.            All other regularly scheduled board, committee, task force, or other official City of Batavia meetings are closed to the public, and shall be either conducted by electronic means (phone, video conferencing, etc.) or cancelled.

5.            City parks remain open for public use provided that the State of New York declared restrictions on congregating are followed. However, all rental or reservation uses of City facilities are suspended until further notice. This includes parks, sports complexes, buildings, roadways, or public walkways that are owned and/or operated by the City of Batavia.

Assistant City Manager

City of Batavia

Rachael Tabelski

Town of Bergen Office Policies until further notice

Following orders issued by Governor Cuomo’s Office beginning Wednesday, March 18^th the Town of Bergen Office’s will be CLOSED to the public until further notice.

If absolutely necessary, appointments can be made by calling the offices. Essential employees will be in their office to check mail and email but will work limited office hours.

Town Clerk, 585-494-1121, ext. 21, bergenclerk@bergenny.org

Any tax payments or dog licenses can be mailed, left in the outside drop box or with a credit card over the phone. Receipts will be mailed back to you.

If you need to renew a handicap permit, please call and one can be mailed out to you.

Town Assessor,  Rhonda Saulsbury 585-343-1729, ext. 207, rsaulsbury@townofbatavia.com

Building and Zoning, Dave Mason 585-861-0728, zeo-ceo@bergenny.org

Permits will still be issued but please call for an appointment.

Town Court, all calls directed through the Genesee County Court Offices -- 585-201-5715. Town Court will be CLOSED until further notice per NYS Unified Court System. Please call with questions.

Highway Superintendent, Mike Johnson 585-494-1362

Transfer Station - will be open Saturdays 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.  -- call the clerk’s office for assistance with bags or tags

Town Supervisor, Ernest Haywood 585-494-1121, ext. 22, supervisor@bergenny.org

Please call with questions, concerns, or for an appointment.

The following meetings are cancelled:

• Planning Board Meeting on March 26^th
• and Town Board Meeting on March 24^th

Another reminder, the Burning Ban is in effect from March 15^th to May 15^th.

Ernest Haywood, Town of Bergen, Town Supervisor

Press release:

At Genesee Dental, we are committed to doing our part in minimizing the spread of the coronavirus.

Due to guidance from the State and National dental society, and a desire to protect our staff and patients, we have decided to cancel all appointments until Friday, April 3rd at the earliest.

We understand that this may be difficult for many people. Our intent is to continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as things progress.

Please don't hesitate to contact our office if you are having a dental emergency or an urgent need. We will be available as much as possible to assist you.

Genesee Dental

37 Batavia City Centre

Batavia, NY 14020

(585) 343-1113

Press release:

In light of the current pandemic, the City of Batavia Fire Department has embraced the advice of the Genesee County Health Department and implemented a number of significant changes to our operational model and service delivery.

It is our intent and a concerted effort to assist in reducing the spread of the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus).

Our service to the public remains our main mission. We are here to serve you and we must bring about these changes to ensure that we are able to continue to provide the highest levels of service during this most unsettling time. 

As a result, the City of Batavia Fire Department has put into action the following safeguards effective immediately:

• First and foremost, if you have an emergency call 9-1-1 immediately and the fire department will be dispatched to you as normal.
• Fire Headquarters located at 18 Evans Street will be locked and secured at all times. Anyone requesting assistance or information can utilize the phone located in the front vestibule of the station, which will contact a member of our staff who will be able to assist you.
• All outside activities hosted at the firehouse have been cancelled, as well as many of our internal programs.
• We have adopted a revised EMS response model in an effort to protect our staff and our community. We continue to respond to all medical emergencies, however, the appearance along with patient contact of our staffing will be modified.
• Firefighters will be practicing “social distancing” techniques as instructed by the County’s Health Department. Please understand that this is for your protection as well as that of fire department staffing.
• Our community risk reduction programs, including car seat inspection and installations, commercial building inspections, EMT and CPR classes along with fire prevention and education have been suspended until further notice. However, this does not include our smoke detector installation and inspection program. Please call 585-345-6375 to schedule an appointment for fire department staffing to inspect, install or change batteries as normal.
• If you are in need of a copy of a fire report please call 585-345-6375 before responding to the Station, you will be given directions on how to proceed with your request at that time.
• If you would like to speak with a fire officer or the fire chief, we ask that you call 585-345-6375. Fire department staff will forward your call to the appropriate person. In the event that they are unable to assist you immediately, staff will obtain your information and someone will be in contact with you as soon as possible.

You, the public can help by following the recommendations of maintaining social distancing of 6 feet or more between other people, frequently washing your hands, and self-monitoring for cold or flu like symptoms such as fever, cough or upper respiratory infections.

If you do have these symptoms, please tell your medical providers right away so they can assist you in the best ways possible. We ask that you consult the Genesee County Public Health Department website for additional information about the COVID-19 virus.

Lastly, these procedures have been implemented to ensure that we can adequately respond to emergencies and to help safeguard both the public and firefighters from accidental exposure to the virus. 

As we move forward over the next several days and weeks, we value your patience and understanding as we work through these difficult days together. The fire officers and firefighters of the City of Batavia Fire Department will continue to deliver aid and assistance in any way possible to ensure that our community remains safe at all times.

Press release issued today March 17:

Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), located midway between Buffalo and Rochester and managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, is seeking public review of its draft Hunt Plan and compatibility determinations.

These documents are proposing changes to better align with New York state hunt regulations including strategies from our approved Comprehensive Conservation Plan from 2011.

Electronic and downloadable documents can be found here. 

Comments will be accepted until close of business today, March 17, and may be submitted via phone at 585-948-7030, email to:   tom_roster@fws.gov, or postal mail to Iroquois NWR, 1101 Casey Road, Basom, NY 14013.

Press release:

Dear Holland Land Office Museum Supporters:

We at the Holland Land Office Museum have been watching the current situation regarding the COVID-19 outbreak. The museum will be staying open during our regular business hours.

We are taking the proper precautionary measures within the museum and have instituted a vigorous cleaning schedule for our facilities and exhibit areas.

We have decided that although we will be staying open we are canceling our events through the rest of March and will be continually evaluating the situation as April approaches.

Furthermore, our Spring Antique Show at Genesee Community College on April 17^th & 18^th has been cancelled, though a search for a new date is underway.

Any other event that is cancelled the museum will be working to reschedule at a later date, so none of us miss out.

We have requested all of our volunteers refrain from coming to the museum until further notice as a precaution. We ask that all visitors adhere to our policy refraining touching the artifacts and display cases, and to use our sanitizing stations throughout the museum.

Any updates to our situation will be communicated through our website, Facebook page, and email.

Should you have any questions please feel free to contact the museum by phone at 585-343-4727 or by email at hollandlandoffice@gmail.com.

Press release:

As we continue to do all we can to serve the needs of our customers, beginning Wednesday, March 18, Tops Friendly Markets -- with locations in Genesee County in Batavia and Le Roy -- will change hours of operation at most of our stores from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to restock and continue to maintain the increased sanitation levels in our stores.

Stores that typically open later and close earlier will maintain their existing hours of operation. This also pertains to Tops Fuel sites. These revised hours will be in effect until further notice.

For more information on these and other details re: COVID-19 updates, please visit our website.

Genesee County has its first confirmed case of COVID-19. A person over 65 who had been on mandatory quarantine while symptomatic. The person had not traveled, which means the was infected by community transmission.

Health care workers are investigating who the person might have had contact within the days prior to showing symptoms.  It's unclear where the person may have contracted it.

The patient has not been hospitalized and is isolated at home.

Due to privacy regulations, the person's identity is not being released.

MORE T/K

UPDATE:  Press release from the County Health Department:

Submitted photo and press release:

When Batavia High School senior Tyler Murphy heard about a logo contest offered by the Rochester chapter of the American Welding Society, he thought he would create a design that reflects his style but also create something that reflects the work of the industry group.

AWS is a national organization with local and regional chapters, that promotes and encourages the welding trade.

Tyler is a Welding student at the Batavia Career and Technical Education (CTE) Center. His inspiration for his drawing is his love of tattoos, and he wanted to incorporate something that portrayed America, hence the use of America's symbolic bird, the bald eagle.

Tyler has Andrew Geye to thank -- the Welding instructor at the Batavia CTE Center shared contest information with Tyler.

“(He) encouraged me to enter the contest," Tyler said. "He knows how much I enjoy drawing."

And Geye says he immediately thought of Tyler when he learned about the logo design competition for students.

“Tyler has a desire and ability to create art with metal and other mediums," Geye said. "Tyler’s drawing for the new AWS T-shirt logo showcases his ability but represents all types of talent here at the Batavia CTE Center.

"The metal trades not only promote the welding industry but advocates for students' success and achievement by cultivating students' confidence and ability through projects such as a logo design competition. I’m extremely proud of Tyler and the efforts he has demonstrated.”

Tyler’s design was selected as the first-place winner of this AWS logo contest and his efforts were recently recognized by Geyer, Paul Kesler, Batavia HS principal; Joe Hussar, Batavia HS counselor; Catherine Bennett, Batavia CTE Center assistant principal; and Matt Wolff, AWS Rochester section chairman.

“The AWS Rochester board voted on all designs submitted from local area schools, and Tyler Murphy is the winner," Wolff said. "The American Welding Society Rochester Section presented Tyler with a $500 award for a new T-shirt design."

Tyler was surprised by this award and when asked how he will use the $500, he replied, “I’m ecstatic that my design was chosen. I’m going to buy welding tools.”

The mission of the America Welding Society is to advance the science, technology and application of welding and allied joining and cutting processes, including brazing, soldering and thermal spraying. With many local and region chapters, this national nonprofit organization, strives to advance the welding industry through many initiatives including membership, certification, education and research as well as publications and events.

Photo, from left: Joe Hussar, Batavia High School counselor; Catherine Bennett, Batavia CTE Center assistant principal; Matt Wolff, AWS Rochester section chairman; Tyler Murphy; Paul Kesler, Batavia HS principal; Andrew Geyer and Tim Gleba, Precision Machining instructor.

We interviewed Merritt Holly, superintendent of the Le Roy Central School District, live and this video is a replay of that stream.

We'll get an update on how the district is dealing with the closure, what's available for students, and families, and how things are going in Le Roy.

If you're unable to view the stream on our home page, click here.  Also, if you follow that link, there is a live chat on YouTube where you can ask questions that I will try to incorporate into the interview.

UPDATE: Unfortunately, and I don't know why, the interview cuts off a minute or so early, a problem on YouTube's end I imagine.

Press release:

The Genesee County Chamber of Commerce office, located at 8276 Park Road in Batavia, will be closed until further notice out of commitment to be good citizens in helping to minimize the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  

The Chamber staff will continue to work remotely and can be contacted through email and voice mail at 585-343-7440. Contact information can be found on the Chamber website and the Tourism website.  

During this extraordinary period, the Chamber staff will work to share and promote any news and initiatives local businesses implement such as curbside delivery, special hours and discount promotions.

The Chamber will also use social media to pass on any best practices businesses are using during the pandemic as well as passing on any pertinent government information made available.  

Stay safe, stay calm and stay healthy,

Tom Turnbull

President

Genesee County Chamber of Commerce

Press release from Genesee County Treasurer Scott German:

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Genesee County Treasurer’s Office will be closed to walk-in business effective immediately. This closure will remain in force until further notice.

Anyone wishing to pay delinquent property taxes may find the amount due at our website. The payment can be mailed to our office.              

Anyone owing Town of Stafford taxes may submit payment by mail based on the amount due for March on their tax bill. After March 31^st, please refer to the website above.

Students requiring a Certificate of Residency for Community Colleges outside Genesee County may submit their signed, notarized applications along with a photocopy of their driver’s license by mail.

The mailing address for the Treasurer’s Office is:  Genesee County Treasurer, 15 Main St., Batavia, NY  14020

Vendors receiving payments from Genesee County could be delayed. We will do our best under the circumstances to pay everyone on time.

I sincerely appreciate everyone’s understanding, should you have questions, feel free to contact my office at 585-344-2550 ext. 2210.

Pembroke Office Policies until further notice

Following orders issued by Governor Cuomo’s Office beginning Wednesday, March 18^th the Town of Pembroke Office’s will be CLOSED to the public until further notice. If absolutely necessary, appointments can be made by calling the offices. Essential employees will be in their office to check mail and email but will work limited office hours.

Town Clerk, 585-762-4105 town-clerk@townofpembroke.org

The Lobby will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to allow residents to drop off payments/paperwork in a designated drop box or can be mailed to 1145 Main Road, Corfu, NY 14036. Receipts will be mailed back to you.

All March and April Dog License renewals will have until May 31^st to renew. Please call to make an appointment to file a death certificate.

If you need to renew a handicap permit, please call and one can be mailed out to you.

Town Assessor, 585-356-2150 assessor@townofpembroke.org

Call for appointment.

Building and Zoning, 585-762-4108 zoning-codes@townofpembroke.org  

Permits will still be issued but please call for an appointment. Some inspections may be handled via photograph or on site with limited personal interaction.

Town Court, 585-599-4817, ext.5

Town Court will be CLOSED until further notice. Please call with questions.

Town Supervisor cell 585-762-4107 or 585-409-8429 supervisor@townofpembroke.org

Please call with questions, concerns, or for an appointment.

The following meetings are cancelled:

• ZBA Meeting on March 18^th,
• Planning Board Meeting on March 25^th
• and Town Board Meeting on March 26^th.

A couple other reminders, the Burning Ban is in effect from March 15^th to May 15^th.

Brush pickup will commence the last two weeks in April or beginning of March dependent on the weather and COVID-19.

Tom Schneider, Town of Pembroke, Town Supervisor

PathStone HUD Section 8 Housing Program will be closed through Friday, March 20th.

Press release:

Nate McMurray, candidate for Congress in New York’s 27th District, is cancelling all public events scheduled ahead of the April 28th special election.

With 18 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Western New York, the campaign has stressed the importance of following Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations to minimize the spread of the virus and best protect those most susceptible to the illness. 

In place of public events, the campaign will shift its outreach efforts to online communications and asks those interested in volunteering to learn about alternative forms of engagement at www.votemcmurray.com/volunteer. 

"This is a pandemic, and we must take it seriously," McMurray said. "Going forward, we are postponing all public fundraisers and rallies of any sort. While this race remains important, we must put the health and safety of people over politics.

"We must work creatively and collaboratively because what we do now will set the tone for other upcoming elections, including the General Election in November. We have to pull together and find a way. That is what Americans do, that is what Western New Yorkers do. We will rise to the occasion. Stay with us. Stay positive. Stay strong.”

Efforts are underway to cooperate with the County Boards of Election to develop protocols to ensure ballot integrity, including a call for universal access to absentee ballots.

McMurray has reached out to the Democratic National Committee for their support in ensuring all voters will be able to participate in the special election. McMurray and his campaign team developed the following guidelines to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety and health of the community:  

1. All campaign events, fundraisers and volunteer opportunities will be moved to phone outreach and online forums. 

2.  All campaign offices remain open and staff are available for literature pick up and to provide technical support to volunteers as needed.    

3. McMurray’s campaign staff are identifying community partners engaged in COVID-19 coordinated care and response; McMurray has pledged to offer his teams’ support and resources as needed to serve the public in this time of need.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is suspending office hours for the duration of March. This is being done to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, otherwise known as the coronavirus.

“This change is not being taken lightly, because I always want to be sure people can reach me and talk to me,” Hawley said. “But in the interest of preventing the spread of the coronavirus further, I am hoping my friends and neighbors will understand why this change is happening.

Despite the change in in-person availability, staff will be working remotely, and citizens are encouraged to call or e-mail Hawley’s office if they have any comments or questions.

Call: 585-589-5780

Email: shawley@smhawley.com

Assemblyman Steve Hawley
March Office Hours:

Genesee County: 
Genesee Community College, Room T124
Friday, March 27
1  – 3 p.m.