COVID-19

Press release:

As of 2 p.m.:

• Genesee County received 17 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Batavia, Darien, Elba and Le Roy. 
  • One of the new positive individuals is a resident at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
  • One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Nineteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Eight of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

• Orleans County received one new positive case of COVID-19.
• The new positive case resides in Barre.
• The individual is in their 0-19s.
• The individual was not on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Twenty-nine of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.

Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Masses this weekend at Resurrection Parish in Batavia are cancelled due to some individuals that came to a funeral at St. Joseph's last week.

Here's a note from Rev. Ivan R. Trujillo, pastor at Resurrection RC Parish, Batavia:

I regret having to advise our parishioners that I am taking a pre-emptive measure and cancelling our weekend Masses for Nov. 21^st and 22^nd, as well as on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26^th. Weekend and Thanksgiving Masses will be online through Facebook and our website as usual.

We have been notified by the Health Department that five members of a family attending a funeral last week have tested positive for COVID-19.

As we have been strictly following all of the recommended guidelines by the State and our Diocese -- such as wearing masks, social distancing, limiting the number of people attending, movement around the church, and disinfecting the entire interior of the church after EVERY Mass -- I believe we are doing the best we can to stay safe.

In addition, we have notified the Diocese regarding our situation. However, we cannot know for certain that everyone entering our church is healthy.

We will be temporarily closed to have some extra cleaning done and continue to disinfect every day (even though no one will be in the church).

I hope everyone will feel comfortable returning to Mass on the (Nov.) 28^th.

Sincerely,

Fr. Ivan

Health Alert

From the Genesee County Health Department:

The Genesee County Health Department has received seven positive COVID-19 tests from individuals who attended funeral service arrangements on the following dates and locations:

• Nov. 11th -- Gilmartin Funeral Home (333 W. Main St., Batavia) between the hours of 3 to 7:30 p.m.
• Nov. 12th -- Resurrection Roman Catholic Church (303 E. Main St., Batavia) between the hours of 9 to 10:30 a.m.
• Nov. 12th -- Saint Joseph’s Mausoleum (Ellicott Street, Batavia) between the hour of 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
• Nov. 12th -- Polish Falcons of America (123 S. Swan St., Batavia) between the hours of 12 to 6 p.m.

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive cases.

We advise all individuals who were at the locations listed to monitor their symptoms for 14 days.

If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home

U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved vaccines to fight COVID-19 can’t come fast enough for Paul Pettit, public health director for Genesee and Orleans counties, who is worried that the two local counties are about to move into deeper levels of New York State-mandated restrictions.

“I believe we’re probably on the verge of potentially going Yellow,” Pettit said today during a Zoom videoconference for business owners and managers set up by the county Chamber of Commerce.

About 50 people logged in to the session, which lasted 45 minutes.

Pettit said the data and metrics of the state’s micro-cluster program featuring color-coded zones point to Genesee and Orleans at least going into the Yellow zone, and possibly to Orange.

“We’re not quite there yet that we know of,” he said. “The data and the metrics of how this is made up – I’m not saying it is secretive – but really the state is the one that is tracking all of this. It is driven by zip code and census tract and it’s based on the positivity rate within those census tracts and those zip codes.”

He said there are some areas in the City and Town of Batavia that are “probably getting close, potentially triggering that level, so we are monitoring that closely.”

Pettit went over the micro-cluster scheme, noting that the Finger Lakes Region control room, which the two counties are part of, is supposed to give the health department advance warning if the region will be placed into the Yellow category.

“We have not gotten that call yet, so I’m hopeful that means that we’re not going to be going Yellow next week. We’re still waiting to hear,” he said.

In Genesee County, designated a Tier 3 county by the state, it will be placed into the Yellow Zone if the geographic area has seven-day rolling average positivity above 3.5 percent for 10 days and the geographic area has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.

It will go to Orange if it has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 4.5 percent for 10 days and has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.

And it will move into Red if it has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 5.5 percent for 10 days and has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.

The criteria are similar for Orleans County, a Tier 4 county.

“I think we’re getting close to this. Our raw numbers definitely put us above three-and-a-half in Genesee (3.9 percent) and for Orleans, it’s 4 percent for Yellow and we’re definitely above that,” Pettit said. “From the numbers, we may even be in jeopardy of going into the Orange level.”

Increased spread of the coronavirus will result in more restrictions to businesses, mass gatherings, places of worship, dining establishments and schools, Pettit said, and could mean reverting to lockdown measures implemented at the outset of the pandemic in the spring.

But, there is hope, Pettit said, in the news that a vaccine is around the corner.

“That’s a big positive that we’re finally moving toward. We’re getting to the point now (where) two manufacturers (Pfizer and Moderna) that have basically completed their Phase 3 trials and have published their findings … both of those seem very promising,” he said.

“They’re both reporting over 95-percent efficacy, so that’s a great number that actually rivals some of our long-term, other standard immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella. Those are around 97- to 98-percent effective.”

Pettit said that once the companies receive emergency use authorization from the FDA they will be “pumping out … 20 million doses by the end of the year from each one, and they’re going to keep ramping them up.”

He also indicated that other manufacturers are developing vaccines, and more will be available after the first of the year.

“That’s really what we have been waiting for … so we can start getting our folks protected and moving beyond these restrictions,” he said.

Pettit said the local health department has a mass vaccination plan in place that mirrors the state’s in that the first phase will target people at the highest risk – nursing homes, vulnerable populations, health care workers – and that later phases will provide immunization to those with underlying conditions and the general public.

He spoke of “closed pods” – giving the vaccine in doses of 500 to 600, for example, at nursing homes, senior facilities and health care systems.

“Once that starts opening up, obviously, we will be utilizing our community partners – pharmacies, health care providers, us (health department) conducting public clinics – trying to get this vaccine out as quickly as we can to the public,” he said.

Pettit said businesses could be included in this process and asked owners of larger companies to let him know if they are interested in holding a “closed pod.”

The public health director’s comments on related areas:

Shout-out to the Business Community

“We know that it has been a long nine months and it doesn’t seem to be getting much better. We’re entering a new phase here, so to speak, and things seem to be getting a little more active, and we have our new micro-cluster strategy that the governor has put out there,” he said.

“Overall, you guys have done a great job. While we looked at the type of case contacting in businesses over the last five, seven, eight, nine months, it really does show that you guys have taken this seriously. You guys have put together very solid and appropriate COVID plans. I know that it has not been easy. A lot of you have struggled through this – financially and trying to stay open and delivering the services in a safe and effective way.”

He said his department is advocating on their behalf.

“We’re well aware that the governor is calling the shots on these different strategies and how he’s putting restrictions in place, but we do advocate – we try to push back locally through our state association on things that don’t make sense. Why are we doing this or why do we have to have these types of restrictions?”

Providing Current COVID Numbers

“Obviously, our numbers have been increasing significantly, locally, and we continue to share those on a daily basis,” he said. “In Genesee County, we’re averaging close to 20 cases per day.”

Pettit said there were 281 positive cases in the county on Sept. 1; 311 on Oct. 1; 375 on Nov. 1; and 635 as of yesterday.

“From October 1^st to now we’ve doubled our positive cases, and from November 1^st – less than three weeks -- we have over 250 cases in Genesee County alone,” he said. “Orleans’ data tracks very similarly – a little less, but proportionately about the same.”

In Genesee County, almost 700 people are in mandatory quarantine with over 130 active cases – the highest numbers since the pandemic took hold.

“With that, our cases and our case investigations are identifying 10, 15, 20, 25 exposures per positive case, which is really driving a lot of these quarantine numbers,” he reported.

Driven by Two Types of Situations

-- Social gatherings, such as parties, birthday parties, gatherings after Halloween, based on actual data.

“Social distancing, masking is not being adhered to on the private side of life,” Pettit said. “You guys on the business side have to follow your safety plans and are required to make sure people wear masks when they come into the store, employees are masked and social distanced, but that’s not the case, obviously, when some folks go home or are having gatherings.”

-- Workplace exposures, primarily driven by employees working symptomatic.

“It’s difficult this time of year when we’re in our traditional flu season and other types of colds and viruses are circulating – everybody has sniffles and a little scratchy throat, but unfortunately, these are all COVID symptoms,” he said. “What we’ve been seeing over the past month and a half is related to workers coming to work and having mild symptoms, but they work anyways, and depending on the practice in the work environment around masking and distancing, it has led toward fairly significant transition and spread between coworkers. They take it home to their families, share it with their loved ones and there goes the cycle.”

Pettit mentioned the latest restrictions mandating bars, restaurants, gyms and bowling centers to close at 10 p.m. and the “controversial” decision to limit private gatherings to 10 or less.

“Obviously, that’s (the 10 person limit) is impossible to enforce and there is no local push for that. It’s more educational on our side … encouraging folks to think about their exposure and risk,” he said.

Data from the Finger Lakes Region

Pettit reported that in the Finger Lakes Region, which includes Monroe County, the seven-day rolling average is 343 positive cases. In Genesee County, the seven-day rolling average is hovering around 5 percent and in Orleans County, it is more than 6 percent.

The hospitalization rate has jumped from .6 per 100,000 in October to 2.35 per 100,000 now, a cause for concern as flu season approaches, he said, adding that more and more testing is being done each week.

The average age of a person testing positive in the region is 39, with 1 percent of the population reporting COVID-like symptoms on a daily basis. In schools, there have been 604 positive cases involving students and 279 involving teachers.

Options for Those to Get Tested

Pettit talked about traveling out of state and the testing that needs to be done upon return, but said many are hampered due to a shortage of testing sites and the likelihood that these optional test won’t be covered by insurance.

“Testing continues to be limited in Genesee and Orleans counties,” he said. “Sen. (Charles) Schumer was out yesterday (in Medina) talking about rural testing and trying to increase capacity for all rural counties. Bottom line, it still is symptomatic testing. We are working on partnering with UMMC and Oak Orchard Health to try to increase rapid testing in our communities, but we don’t have a lot of access to the test kits.”

He said free testing sites run by the state are at Monroe Community College, Niagara County Community College and at the Buffalo Sabres’ parking lot in Downtown Buffalo. They are open seven days a week and appointments are required.

“I encourage folks to utilize that as needed especially for travel-related or screening -- for maybe going to a nursing home to visit a loved one or (to go to) school, whatever the need may be,” he said.

For more information, go to https://forward.ny.gov/

Press release:

New Positives – As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County received 20 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Elba, Le Roy, Pembroke and Stafford. 
  • Four of the new positive individuals are residents at The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.
  • None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Twenty-six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Eight of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

• Orleans County received three new positive cases of COVID-19.
• The new positive cases reside in Albion and Barre.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 40s and 50s.
• None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• "We are saddened to report that one of our county residents who had tested positive for COVID-19 (over 65 years of age) who lived in the community, has passed away. Due to privacy issues, we are not releasing further details about this individual. We would like to express our sincerest sympathy for this individual’s family and friends.”

From Derek Geib, owner of Bourbon & Burger Co.:

The purpose of this is to add to the vague press release about Bourbon & Burger Co. by the Genesee County Health Department and to clear up any misinformation that is out there.

First of all, we are open and we plan to be for many years to come.

Second, the individual reported was not in the building after receiving a positive test result.

Third, there is no concrete proof that the individual was positive while in the building.

The person reported a headache on Nov. 8, was here Nov. 9, and received a positive test result Nov. 11 -- a full 48 hours after being in the building.

Fourth, no one in Bourbon & Burger during the dates in the press release has been placed on mandatory quarantine, nor have they been told by the Health Department that they needed to get tested.

These are the facts.

We will tell you what the Health Department isn’t telling you but should be -- COVID-19 IS EVERYWHERE. What they also know is it is in the big box stores, the chains and the fast-food restaurants. It is not confined to your four hometown restaurants as it may seem from their press releases.

You should be practicing caution everywhere and monitoring your symptoms no matter where you’ve been.

We have served thousands of you since this pandemic began without incident, we are following every protocol and guideline that is out there to keep everyone safe. The government has turned its back on our industry, we can’t afford for our community to do so as well because of misinforming press releases.

This industry is barely hanging on and all of Batavia's restaurants need you now more than ever. The only way we all make it though this is together.

Press release:

St. Ann’s Community is one of several skilled nursing and independent living facilities in the Greater Rochester area to receive rapid testing devices from the Centers for Medicaid Services (CMS) with the goal of rapid detection of COVID-19 in nursing home staff.

That includes St. Ann’s Community at The Greens, an independent living community in Le Roy.

Per guidance from New York State, staff must be tested a minimum of once per week in order to minimize virus exposure and spread to residents and other staff members.

The devices provided to St. Ann’s Community by CMS, known as the BD Veritor ™Plus System, can read a sample in approximately three seconds and give a COVID-19 positive or negative result. The process currently consists of a nasal swab which takes a sample from each nostril. The swab is then placed inside of a vial with a solution, and the vial deposits three drops onto a cartridge. The cartridge then rests for 15 minutes and is inserted into the device for a rapid result. 

This rapid testing has made for a much easier and more efficient way of testing the nearly 1,200 staff members at St. Ann’s Community.

While the testing of staff may be more efficient with the devices, the difficultly comes with the data obtained from the rapid testing devices. New York State requires the data for all testing completed for each individual to be uploaded within three hours to the New York State Department of Health (NYS DOH) for results and lab tracking.

This data then needs to be electronically submitted and uploaded to the Electronic Clinical Laboratory Reporting System (ECLRS), which has caused more work and time dedicated to data analyzation and uploading of information for compliance purposes.

This is all done while ensuring St. Ann’s has the necessary staff, tools, and processes to carry out the testing and uploading of data. Fortunately, St. Ann’s has well-equipped information technology and medical teams who assist in these complicated and time-consuming matters.

“I believe we’re the first of the Alliance for Senior Care homes, and perhaps the first of any Rochester area skilled nursing facility to test, capture, and upload live data [not just test data] to New York State,” said Aaron Fields, chief information officer at St. Ann’s Community. “This means we’re no longer reliant on just one testing method, and we now have multiple options for COVID-19 testing.

"In our current ever-changing world, it has made our access to testing supplies better and our results and reporting times faster, especially when so many of these supplies are in high demand and there are frequently long wait times for results with other testing methods. We have a fantastic team in place which makes this that much easier. It’s really putting us ahead of the curve for point of care testing.”

Press release:

There are a lot of plans and celebrations being postponed or even cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic this season. Leaders are encouraging people to stay home and avoid large events and gatherings. However, for nearly 30 years, The Genesee Community College Foundation has welcomed the holiday season by hosting a very special event -- Encore -- and global coronavirus pandemic or not, Encore must go on!

For months, GCC has been working with its generous and community-focused sponsor, Tompkins Financial, to ensure that the critical scholarship funds generated through the Encore event do not become another loss to the Coronavirus pandemic. Tom and Kim Cox are the cochairs and the outcome is nothing short of extraordinary!

The Genesee Symphony Orchestra & The Genesee Chorale will perform for Encore 2020 ONLINE.

Encore 2020, focused on the opportunity to "Be the Light" will be broadcast online through special ticketed access on Saturday, Dec. 12 at exactly 6 p.m. at https://gccfoundationinc.org/.

"Moving the Encore celebration online has truly taken some holiday magic," said Justin Johnston, vice president of GCC's Development and External Affairs. "Teams from multiple areas of the College and partners in our community have come together and created an evening that will fill everyone's homes with a festive warmth that can only come from knowing you are helping someone in need."

Encore 2020 VIP tickets include an extra special treat that supports local area restaurants through this difficult time as well! Click here to order your ticket access to the performance and select your favorite restaurant to take your Encore celebration on Dec. 12 to the next level!

For sponsorship and other information, visit https://gccfoundationinc.org/ or contact the Foundation Office at (585) 345-6809, or foundation@genesee.edu today.

Press release:

New Positives – As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County received 17 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Darien, Elba, Le Roy and Pembroke.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s.
  • None of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Twenty-one of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Nine of (all) positive individuals are hospitalized.

• Orleans County received nine new positive cases of COVID-19.
• The new positive cases reside in Barre, Carlton, Clarendon, Murray and Ridgeway.
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
• Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Four of the positive individuals are hospitalized.

******************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Restrictions Currently in Effect (as of Nov. 13)

Bars, restaurants and gyms, as well as any State Liquor Authority-licensed establishment, must close in-person service from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily.

• Indoor and outdoor gatherings at private residences will be limited to no more than 10 people. 

Faith-based Organizations

Consider continuing or reinstating remote worship due to increased numbers of positive COVID-19 cases to protect your more vulnerable population.

For those who are at risk of complications for COVID-19 or the flu, consider to connect with your house of worship remotely to lessen the risk of contracting COVID-19 or the flu.

If you are sick or experiencing new symptoms, STAY HOME and worship remotely. Don’t share your germs with others.

Time-Distance-Masks-Hands!

In order to limit the spread of COVID-19 you need to rethink any upcoming gatherings. The more time you spend with nonhousehold members, the more at risk of spreading the virus and putting our counties in a micro-cluster which will increase restrictions. Even small gatherings have the potential to have an impact on our hospital systems as we are seeing an increase in hospital admissions and ICU admissions. Limit time with nonhousehold members…Keep at least 6 feet or more…Properly wear a mask/face covering over your nose and mouth…and Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or 60-percent alcohol hand sanitizer, as well as sanitizing frequently touched surfaces/items.

Gathering Size

According to Governor Cuomo’s Executive Order 202.45, all nonessential gatherings of up to 50 individuals of any size for any reason at venues (celebrations, weddings, or other social events at public facilities or private venues) unless otherwise designated (ex. religious gatherings), are now allowed for those regions in Phase 4.

So long as appropriate social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over their mouth and nose, and cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are followed. With the recent uptick of individuals testing positive and the stricter guidance placed by the Governor, it is important to remember that those who plan and host nonessential gatherings (whether at a venue or a private residence) as noted above, can be fined up to $15,000, and/or cause our counties to be considered a micro-cluster which will place the area under stricter restrictions.

Micro-clusters: The initiative will take the most significant action within the cluster (Red Zone), moderate action in the area surrounding the cluster to stop the spread (Orange Zone), and precautionary action in the outlying communities (Yellow Zone). To learn more about the Cluster Action Initiative go to https://forward.ny.gov/ny-forward.

Neither Sheriff William Sheron nor Batavia Police Chief Shawn Heubusch intends to have their officers knocking on doors of private residences to see if people are violating a Gov. Andrew Cuomo executive order that prohibits gatherings of 10 or more people.

They both do, however, expect people to be reasonable and responsible and avoid large gatherings in response to the uptick of COVID-19 cases locally.

Cuomo's order, in advance of Thanksgiving, a traditional time for extended families to gather together to celebrate the holiday, has drawn criticism throughout the state.

Both Sheron and Heubusch cited the constitutional prohibition against unreasonable searches.

Heubusch said city police officers will respond to complaint calls as normal and conduct any interaction within the requirements of local, state and federal laws.

Sheron was more openly critical of the governor's order, questioning its constitutionality and suggesting Cuomo would better serve the people of New York by encouraging residents to be cautious and use good judgment.

Sheron's statement:

We are not encouraging people to have large gatherings in their homes. I want citizens to use their own best judgment and remain safe. We do not have the resources, nor the inclination, to peep into private residences to see how many people are at the dinner table.

The Executive Order raises serious Constitutional questions. Serious issues about the right of people to privacy in their homes, the right to be free from warrantless searches, the right to assemble, the right to freedom of religious practice, the right to equal treatment under the law, and the right to have criminal conduct clearly defined by law are all implicated by the Governor’s Executive Order.

I think that, rather than issuing orders, which are, at best, impossible to enforce, and, at worst, unconstitutional, the Governor would serve the People of New York better if he used his bully pulpit, not to do more bullying, but rather to encourage our citizens to be cautious, use good judgment in weighing risk factors, protect the vulnerable, and enjoy our families and our great gathering traditions only in ways that are safe until we can get back to normal. 

Heubusch's statement:

The City of Batavia and the Batavia Police Department want to remind the public that we are currently living through a global health crisis and ask everyone to do their part to help stop the spread of COVID-19. That includes celebrating responsibly with family and friends during this holiday season. We are confident that the residents of the City of Batavia will do your part to keep you, your family and your neighbors safe. The Executive order does not alter any Federal or State laws with reference to search and seizure restrictions, therefore the Police Department will respond to call for service as we have in the past and execute our duties within the bounds of Federal, State, and Local laws. The City Police Department will continue to respond for calls for service in the normal course of business to keep our families and residents safe.

Press release: 

New Positives – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received 20 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alexander, Batavia, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield and Pembroke.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.
  • One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Fifteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Nine of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • Two of the previous positive individuals were transferred to another county. This has been reflected in our PUI numbers.
• Orleans County received 10 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Shelby, Murray and Ridgeway.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 60s, and 70s.
  • Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Eight of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Four of the positive individuals are hospitalized.

Press release:

The Genesee County Health Department has received a positive COVID-19 test from an individual who was at The Harvester tavern in Batavia last week Nov. 8th through the 14th. Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive case.

We advise all individuals who were at The Harvester anytime last week to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

The Harvester is a tavern located at 105 Harvester Ave., Batavia.

New Positives – As of 2 p.m. 

• Genesee County is reporting 78 positive COVID-19 cases that includes Friday, Saturday, Sunday and today. This reconciles the positive cases from last week, including the 30 reported on Friday.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Bethany, Byron, Darien, Elba, Le Roy, Oakfield, Pavilion, Pembroke and Stafford. 
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s 70s, 80s, and 90s.
  • Nine of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Thirty-one of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Five of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • Two of the active positive cases are residents from The Grand Rehabilitation and Nursing at Batavia, and one is a resident at the Batavia VA Medical Center. 

• Orleans County received 25 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Barre, Clarendon, Carlton, Gaines, Shelby, Murray, Yates and Ridgeway.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.
  • Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Eighteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Six of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • The Health Department has received word of two residents of The Villages of Orleans Health and Rehab testing positive. No further information will be shared.
  • The Health Department has received word that one staff member of the Medina Central School District has tested positive. The individual is on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing has been done for those who are considered close contacts and will be on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual. 

Click here to view the Genesee and Orleans County online map of confirmed cases.

A reminder the numbers listed as positive/active are current community cases. The recovered numbers are only for community cases and do not include non-county regulated facilities. The total positive cases includes community active/positive, community recovered and all those from non-county regulated facilities.

UPDATE: Owner Derek Geib notes that the individual who tested positive had not been in the building for the prior 48 hours prior to the positive test. He said there is no evidence the employee was positive while at Bourbon and Burger. He said no other employee required testing.  No employees were placed on mandatory quaratine.

Bourbon and Burger remains open for business.

Health Alert

The Genesee County Health Department has received a positive COVID-19 test from an individual who was at Bourbon & Burger Co. restaurant in Batavia on:

• Thursday, Nov. 5 between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Friday, Nov. 6 between 2 and 9 p.m.
• Saturday, Nov. 7 between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday, Nov. 9 between 4 and 8 p.m.  

Contact tracing is in progress; however unidentified individuals may have unknowingly been in contact with the positive case. 

We advise all individuals who were at Bourbon & Burger on the stated dates and times to monitor their symptoms for 14 days. If symptoms of COVID-19 develop, contact your primary care provider to seek testing immediately and self-isolate until you receive your test results.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include but are not limited to: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.

For more information please visit: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home.

From Marianne Skye, director and yoga teacher at Blue Pearl Yoga:

What’s a Little Free Pantry and Freege?

A place and a way for people to share what they have, and to take what they need with dignity, without income guidelines, and without judgement. Everyone is encouraged to give and take.

It is located at 180 Washington Ave. in the City of Batavia, open 24/7. And they are having a food drive!

How did it come to be?

A whole lot of coincidences in a row that added up to this! Interesting story. It started with the Blue Pearl Yogo Studio shutdown in March. Around the studio we call it practical magic, lol.

My friend Tom (of Ryan’s Rose Organic Farm) and I have been playing music and gardening for years.

I always thought it would be nice if I had the time to overplant the vegetable garden and find a food pantry to donate farm-to-table.

So with nothing to do in Spring, a football-field size garden was tilled up and planted. 

Not that I knew a little pantry to donate to yet. But empty bellies are everywhere.

Just when the veggies started coming. ... (Oh those zucchinis!)

I got a call from the sweetest lady on State Street about doing yoga at community event. We’ll call her Jenn, she tries to stay anonymous, good luck with that.   

And the conversation quickly turned to gardening (tree huggers and dirt worshipers are like that) and a little food pantry she started in her front yard, just to connect with her neighbors and lend a hand.

Jenn’s family member gave her the idea, she ran with it, and the veggies showed up right on schedule as did donations of nonperishable food from friends and neighbors.

Beacon of Hope Amid Growing Food Insecurity

You see, food insecurity has become an even bigger problem in this coronavirus pandemic. The idea for the Little Free Pantry and Freege is to be a beacon of hope in these trying times.

The Pantry operates with this philosophy in hopes, not only to fight food insecurity, but also help reduce food waste, sharing our resources wisely, as almost half the food in America goes to waste.

Then mid-growing season, I saw a piece on the news about “Community Refrigerators,” a way for people to share what they have, where everyone is encouraged to give and take.

Jenn was all for it; my neighbors Cindy and Mo on the Southside were all about it; and within a week they had a donated fridge for us and offered to move it. Then Sharon Kubiniec heard that the "Freege" needed a home (I think from Julie W. who coordinates the Community Closet at Robert Morris School.) and offered to give it a home.

More People Pitch In

Then the Just Kings showed up to build a structure around the fridge, and Brian from T-Shirts Etc. showed up to do some art work on the structure, Ashley from CASA, City Church, St Anthony’s, Sharon and Laurie of Schwab Farm are pitched in, so there you have it.

The Little Free Pantry and Community Freege is located to the side of dentist Michael A. Kubiniec’s office (180 Washington Ave.) and is accessible 24 hours a day, all year round. It is stocked with both fresh and frozen food including produce, meats and dairy items.

How do you like them apples? I love this city, it’s so full of neighborly love, and so full of folks who love to get together and have a blast lending a hand to their neighbors! 

I am over-wowed at the adventure and fun this has been and for the good things and good people that came together.

Take care, Marianne 

For any questions or to volunteer feel free to message the page @https://m.facebook.com/lfpbatavia/

Photos courtesy of Blue Pearl Yoga.

Press release:

“Business Planning during the Covid Crisis” will be the subject of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce’s latest business workshop on Dec. 3.

“Never has been business planning more important or more challenging than during this pandemic,” said Tom Turnbull, president of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce.  “This workshop is designed to help our local businesses plan and navigate through this difficult future.”

Richard Petitte, a Certified Business Advisor for the SUNY Brockport Small Business Development Center, will discuss taking a look at how your business can realize success in these uncertain times.

He will be concentrating on developing your business ideas through the business plan process and evaluating the feasibility of those ideas before investing time and money in them.    

The workshop will be held via Zoom and is scheduled to start at 9 a.m. and should last approximately one hour.

This event is free for Chamber and Downtown Batavia Business Improvement District members. There is a $10 charge for non-members. To register, contact Kelly Bermingham at the Chamber by phone at (585) 343-7440 or by email at kbermingham@geneseeny.com

Press release:

The Community Crisis Fund, which has distributed $6.1 million since it was mobilized in March, is closing out 2020 with a final grant application deadline of Nov. 20.

The Crisis Fund was launched by United Way of Greater Rochester and Rochester Area Community Foundation to raise money and rapidly deploy resources to nonprofits adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This helps them continue to provide critical services to our region and/or reopen once they had the necessary personal protective equipment and safety protocols in place.

Grants have been awarded to nonprofits in Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates counties.

The Nov. 20 deadline for grant applications will allow the Community Crisis Fund’s Governance Committee, comprised of representatives of several local funders, to review applications and determine how the Fund’s remaining dollars will be distributed. 

Since March, $6,529,976 was raised from local foundations, businesses, institutions and thousands of individuals. ESL was the lead contributor to the Crisis Fund with $2.4 million, including a match to local funders to encourage continued support.

Press release:

The Batavia Business Improvement District Board of Directors regretfully announces cancellation of Christmas in the City and the Holiday Parade.

Due to the uncertainty of COVID-19, the need for social distancing, and our concern for the health of the community, vendors, volunteers and attendees, we have decided to cancel this event for 2020. 

We encourage our community to continue to shop small and support our small businesses that need us now more than ever.  

For more information on B.I.D. and Downtown events please visit our website at www.downtownbataviany.com.

A deputy has been dispatched to East Pembroke to try and locate a male subject who became upset at an employee over the issue of wearing a mask inside the store.

The man walked away but has repeatedly called her on the phone, according to dispatch, cussing at her and threatening her.

The number of people in Genesee County who are known to be infected with COVID-19 continues to grow at a high rate, according to the lastest news release from the Health Department.

The county now has 98 people in mandatory isolation because of COVID-19, which is more than double the high of the spring outbreak.

That's an increase of 30 new known cases since yesterday.

Press release:

New Positives – As of 2 p.m.

• Genesee County received 30 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • This is reflective from the cases reported yesterday. Due to the volume of positives cases received today, data will be updated as soon as possible. Staff is working on contact tracing.
  • The new positive cases reside in Alabama, Alexander, Batavia, Bergen, Elba, LeRoy, Oakfield, Pavilion and Pembroke.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
  • One of the individuals was on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Nineteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Three of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • The Health Department has been notified of a two positive staff members at Batavia Middle School. The individuals are on mandatory isolation until they recover. Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual. The school will remain open for learning unless otherwise announced.
  • The Health Department has been notified of a two positive students and one positive staff member at Pavilion Middle School.  The individuals are on mandatory isolation until they recover.  Contact tracing is in process for those who are considered close contacts and will be placed on mandatory quarantine for 14 days from the last contact with the positive individual. The school will remain open for learning unless otherwise announced.
• Orleans County received 12 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in Albion, Shelby, Murray, Kendall and Ridgeway.
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s.
  • Three of the individuals were on mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Fourteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Two of the positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • The Health Department has received word of three Orleans County jail inmates testing positive. No further information will be shared.