LOCKPORT, N.Y. — A small bit of good news from Niagara County regarding test results for the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
The county Tuesday said two results from tests done last week came back negative, two more test results are still pending.
Niagara County reported three new positive cases of COVID-19 on Monday.
The county now reports it has a total of 12 positive results, 64 people quarantined, 12 in isolation. In addition, 29 people have completed their quarantine.
The three new cases are in the Town of Lockport, the City of Lockport and Niagara Falls.
“The numbers across all of Western New York continue to increase and as I have said, if we had the supplies to do testing at the rate we would like, I am certain the number of positives would be higher,” said Niagara County Public Health Director Dan Stapleton.
Stapleton says work will continue to reach out to those who came in close, direct contact with a positive case, such as family members and friends. They will no longer be full-scale community contact tracing because it provides no real clinical value to the department at this point.
“As every health and government officials has repeatedly said, act is if the virus is everywhere because it probably is,” said Stapleton. “A few months ago, we had a hepatitis outbreak at a local restaurant. Contact tracing – letting people know if you ate this restaurant at this date and time please get tested – made sense. It does not make sense in a pandemic and it’s taking time away from other critical functions.”
“People should not take a false sense of security if the virus is not yet in your town, nor panic if it is,” said Stapleton. “The advice is the same. Stay home as much as you can. Practice social distancing. Wash your hands. These steps are key to getting us through this.”
