BUFFALO, N.Y. — Boston, Derby, Glenwood, Akron, and North Collins are some of Erie County's small, rural communities.
They're also the communities with the highest percent positive rates in the county last week, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz shared in a press conference Thursday.
For the week of December 5, Boston had the highest percent positive rate, at 15.2 percent, and 23 new confirmed cases that week. To the north, Akron had the fourth-highest percent positive rate, at 13.9 percent and 51 confirmed cases.
The county says the second wave is hitting these rural communities harder than urban areas. They believe the cases in rural communities are tied to community spread, rather than density.
County officials continue to urge residents to follow social distancing, wear masks, and not have gatherings with people outside their homes.
COVID-19 fatality rates in Erie County also show that statistically, areas outside the city of Buffalo are being impacted at a percentage greater than the population. In Erie County, 925 people have died so far from the virus.
Hospitals continue to be impacted by rising COVID-19 cases in Erie County. As of December 8, 83.7 percent of hospital beds are full with either COVID-19 or non-COVID patients.
In Erie County hospitals, on December 8, there were 436 COVID-19 patients, which is the highest total reported this year, according to Poloncarz. A third of these patients were under 64 years old, and 88 of the patients were in intensive care units, including 62 on airway assist.
On the same day, for Western New York as a whole, 517 people were hospitalized for COVID-19, including 110 people in intensive care units.
Dr. Burstein added that the county hopes to receive a shipment of COVID-19 vaccine within the next month.
"The doctors are going to be involved, but the first batch is to be received this weekend. It's not coming to Erie County to our knowledge. It's going to be coming to local hospital systems and will potentially be used by nursing homes," said Poloncarz. "I don't want people to think that if they go to their doctor's office next week or January first, they're going to be able to get the vaccine, it's just not the case."
We also asked the Erie County Executive if, based on the numbers he's seen, he has any indication of what the Governor might announce Friday about the zones.
"I have not had any direct information. I do believe the Governor may make some changes to what the determinations also in the Orange and Red Zone as to what can open and what not. We've been told that might be coming, but we'll just have to wait and see when the Governor makes his announcement during his press conference tomorrow," said Poloncarz.
The Governor's press conference is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Friday.
Dr. Thomas Russo - an infectious disease expert - told 2 On Your Side Wednesday that he was pleasantly surprised that positivity rates were leveling off in Erie County, but also said we could be up to a week away from a Thanksgiving surge.
Thursday, we asked the County Executive whether he's hopeful rates could continue this trend through the holidays and until the majority of us are allowed to get the vaccine.
"Certainly, Thanksgiving is a one-day holiday that we all enjoy. We also have some of the most important religious holidays coming up, and it's not necessarily going to be any easier for individuals to stay away from their family, whether it's Hanukah, or Christmas, or during the Kwanzaa celebration, and New Year's, I'm hopeful people will. All you got to do is look at what's happening around the rest of the country and see reports of hospitals that are completely full, " said Poloncarz.