NIAGARA COUNTY, N.Y. — Niagara County Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton confirmed Saturday morning that there are nine positive cases of COVID-19, also known as the novel coronavirus, in Niagara County.
Stapleton said Saturday that five new positive test results were received from the New York State Department of Health. As of Saturday morning, Niagara County had 61 people quarantined, 10 in isolation and five pending test results.
The county now has nine confirmed cases.
Niagara County believes that all of the new cases of coronavirus were examples of community spread.
“This shows how rapidly the situation changes. As of 5 p.m. yesterday (Friday), we had not received any new positives from DOH and within a couple of hours, we had five,” said Stapleton. “I have heard some say that our numbers are merely a function of our testing and if we could do testing at the rate we would like, there would be many, many more positives. To that, I say, I absolutely agree. The community needs to act as if COVID-19 is everywhere because in all likelihood, it is.”
The five new confirmed cases are:
- A 33-year-old man in North Tonawanda who is in ICU at a local health care facility
- A 51-year-old woman in North Tonawanda who is in home isolation
- A 43-year-old woman in North Tonawanda who is in home isolation
- A 64-year-old man in North Tonawanda who is in home isolation
- A 29 year old woman from City of Lockport who is in home isolation
Niagara County says the four confirmed cases in North Tonawanda have no apparent connection to each other.
Stapleton also released contact tracing information Saturday morning for the four other confirmed cases in Niagara County. Contact tracing is not available for the five new cases at this time.
The contact information at this point:
- March 11, in the evening, Nelson’s restaurant in Wheatfield
- March 12, in the evening, Sinatra’s restaurant on Kenmore Avenue, in Kenmore
- March 13, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., VP Supply in Clarence
- March 13, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., G&G Fitness on Transit Road, Williamsville
- March 13, 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., Neat Restaurant on Transit Road, Williamsville
- March 13, 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., California Closets on Walden Avenue, Depew
- March 15, 10 a.m. to 11 a.m., Sam’s Club in Niagara Falls
Health officials advise individuals who may have visited one of these locations to self-monitor for symptoms, such as a dry cough, fever over 100 degrees, and shortness of breath.