BUFFALO, N.Y. — Erie County held its weekly press briefing Tuesday and gave updates on the vaccine rollout and the situation at schools.
Erie County Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein says the number of COVID-19 cases for staff and students doing in-person learning is as high as it was in the fall and earlier in the winter. With 224 current cases, Burstein says school staff is over-represented in those numbers.
"Staff, please, you know, think about staying safe," Burstein said. "Limiting in-person meetings. Don't hang out together in the break room. That's where we're seeing transmission."
The county also said St. Benedict School in Amherst has an outbreak of nine cases in three classrooms. Erie County recommended a 10 day shift to virtual learning, but the school declined.
And, the Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz was asked - why not change the rules like they have in Onondaga County - where they're changing the social distancing to 3-feet with barriers between everyone. Poloncarz says the county doesn't have the authority to do that.
"We have some individuals in our community who are saying we should just open schools up totally," Poloncarz said. "We are following CDC standard, the New York State Department of Health standard, and it's New York State and the New York State Education Department that makes determinations as to what the standard is going to be in schools."
Current CDC guidance says students should be 6-feet apart.
Tuesday, we also got an update on vaccination numbers. So far, more than 24-percent of adults living in Erie County have gotten at least the first dose of the vaccine. More than 13-percent have received both doses.
Erie County will be getting 3,710 vaccine doses from the state next week. That's a drop from last week. More than 1,600 will go to people who are essential workers.
The county has multiple clinics, including the one opening at Keybank Center and one Thursday at the Concord Senior Center. You need an appointment.
"Next week, we have a pop-up scheduled for the Town of Cheektowaga Senior Center," Poloncarz said. "These are one-day clinics. We are utilizing the list of individuals who requested to be put on our waiting list. Our notification list to inform individuals of these pop-up clinics. So, if you're searching for these clinics on the New York State site, you're not going to find it."
And the Convention Center clinic is still in the works, but the county doesn't have a date yet for when it will open.