CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY, N.Y. — Officials in Chautauqua County are asking residents to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
The Public Health division of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services says 36 new cases of COVID-19 were reported from August 29 through August 31.
Of the new cases, 12 were tied to the current outbreak at Fieldbrook Foods, Inc. Six were workers at Fieldbrook Foods, while the other six people were identified as close contacts of the workers.
The department of health says at this time, 75 positive COVID-19 cases have been associated with Fieldbrook Foods.
Of the 248 people tested at the New York State rapid testing site in Dunkirk over the weekend, three tested positive for COVID-19, making the percent positive rate 1.2 percent.
“Today, we have 105 active cases of COVID-19 in the community. For the first half of August we experienced, on average, 13.6 active cases per day, with an active case rate of 1.07 per 10,000 in Chautauqua County,” reported Breeanne Agett, epidemiologist with DHHS. “We are currently experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases that is nearly 8 times greater than we see on average.”
Of the 105 current active cases, 60 are in Dunkirk, 14 are in Fredonia and 25 are in Jamestown.
“We’ve been cautious to share case information only by fire battalion because we were dealing with small numbers. Using aggregated data such as this is appropriate to minimize the need for data suppression,” said Christine Schuyler, county public health director. “We are now dealing with a surge of cases and these higher numbers allow us to share more specific data and not breach confidentiality.”
Human coronaviruses are usually spread through...
- The air by coughing or sneezing
- Close personal contact, such as touching or shaking hands
- Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose or eyes before washing your hands.
Help stop the spread of coronavirus
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Eat and sleep separately from your family members
- Use different utensils and dishes
- Cover your cough or sneeze with your arm, hot your hand.
- If you use a tissue, throw it in the trash.
Lower your risk
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
- If you are 60 or over and have an underlying health condition such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes or respiratory illnesses like asthma or COPD, the World Health Organization advises you to try to avoid crowds or places where you might interact with people who are sick.
