ERIE COUNTY, N.Y. — Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz posted on Twitter Monday evening that 26 people have died from COVID-19 over the past three days. At this time, 233 people have died from coronavirus in Erie County.
There are currently 3,109 positive cases of coronavirus in the county.
It's been 45 days since the county began updating the public on coronavirus in our area, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Monday. There were zero cases when they began holding press conferences a month and a half ago.
So far, 13,917 people have been tested for COVID-19 in Erie County, which is up 508 from Sunday.
As of April 25, 225 people were hospitalized, and of those, 112 were in the ICU, and 81 of those individuals in the ICU had an airway assist.
Poloncarz says that the county saw a trend of hospitalizations going downward, but now we've seen a small increase.
Poloncarz says that we still have a higher number of confirmed cases and deaths compared to our peer groups in the region — Cleveland and Pittsburgh areas.
All labs are now testing anyone with symptoms. Sample collection is by appointment only, you can call (716) 858-2929 to set up an appointment.
- Choose option one if you're a member of the public and have a general question.
- Choose option two if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms and have a primary care provider.
- Choose option three if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms and do not have a primary care provider.
- Choose option four if you are a healthcare provider.
If you are tested for COVID-19 by any lab, you are under Erie County isolation orders and you must remain in isolation until you get your results. You may be eligible for paid leave through New York State and the U.S. Department of Labor.
Erie County Health Department, Kaleida, Catholic Health, Roswell, ECMC, WellNow Urgent Care, Quest and some primary care providers are all testing for COVID-19.
Poloncarz stated in his press conference that he believes Erie County would be able to handle "some elective surgeries."
Poloncarz also discussed the several initiatives being taken by the Erie County Business Task Force:
- WNY Business Impact Survey, which results from will be available on May 6.
- The creation of the ECIDA/RDC small business disaster relief loan program. This program has been working with existing loan clients and not penalizing tax incentive clients who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19 workplace restrictions.
The task force also has a few new initiatives, including Erie Grown:
- Erie Grown, which will help local growers sell their products. This will also help people trying to buy from local farms. Erie County is 96 percent family farms, and 22 percent of Erie County’s land is farmland.
- This website will include a farm locator map to show open farm stands and farmers markets, including what is available at them. Listed farms have been confirmed to be COVID-19 compliant.
- The website also includes a fresh producer finder where you can search by produce to find a local grower, including for goods like meat, honey and maple syrup.
- You can click here to visit the website to buy produce or click here to list your farm.
The task force also announced a loan and sales tax program that targets Erie County based businesses impacted by the shutdown. The program will help businesses that need working capital, investing in production, or increasing distribution/supplies in response to the post-coronavirus world.
Additionally, the task force has created Business Link, which is a resource for curated information that helps local businesses, and a form to ask unanswered questions.
The Small Business Administration's coronavirus relief measures are now available including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Emergency Injury Disaster Loan Program. You can also contact the local SBA office at (716) 551-4301.