Media Release from Chautauqua County Executive’s Office / Department of Health
[Saturday, March 28, 2020 – 3:43 p.m.]
MAYVILLE – As of March 28, Chautauqua County has a total of seven (7) confirmed cases of COVID-19, with two (2) new positive tests reported today. These new cases include:
- A woman in her 70s, with no recent travel.
- A woman in her 30s, with no recent travel outside the country, has had travel to Erie County, NY.
Based on the initial review of each case by Health Department epidemiology staff, these individuals appear to have had separate exposures to the novel coronavirus.
Both of these individuals will continue to recover at home under mandatory isolation as ordered by the Local Health Official per NYS Public Health Law.
Chautauqua County Public Health staff performs an intensive investigation to identify close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases. Following guidance from NYSDOH, contact tracing begins on the day the person with the positive test started having symptoms. NYSDOH deems this the beginning of the infections period. Once identified, our department notifies the close contacts of their potential exposure to COVID-19 and they are placed under mandatory or precautionary quarantine to monitor for symptoms. If you do not personally hear from a public health nurse, you are not a close contact of an individual who has been confirmed to have COVID-19. Per NYSDOH, close contact refers to a person who cared for or lived with a person with COVID-19. It does not include activities such as walking by a person or sitting across a waiting room or office for a brief time.
In addition, there are several individuals who have received isolation and quarantine orders by the Public Health Director. This includes:
- 21 individuals in Mandatory Quarantine (individuals confirmed positive of COVID-19 or a household contact of a confirmed positive COVID-19 case);
- 38 individuals in Precautionary Quarantine (individuals with travel history to CDC level 3 country or proximal contact of a confirmed case of COVID-19);
- 25 individuals in Mandatory Isolation (individuals who are symptomatic of COVID-19 and are pending COVID-19 lab test); and
- 84 negative test results to date.
The Chautauqua County COVID-19 Response Team continues to meet daily during this pandemic and urges residents to please stay home and stay safe. Limit your trips to the grocery store to once a week if possible, remember to use social distancing, and avoid gathering in groups.
Families across the country are adapting to the evolving changes in daily life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is very important to remember that children look to adults for guidance on how to react to stressful events. Acknowledging some level of concern, without panicking, is appropriate and can result in taking the necessary actions that reduce the risk of illness. Teaching children positive preventive measures, talking with them about their fears, and giving them a sense of some control over their risk of infection can help reduce anxiety. This is also a tremendous opportunity for adults to model for children problem-solving, flexibility, and compassion as we all work through adjusting daily schedules, balancing work and other activities, getting creative about how we spend time, processing new information from authorities, and connecting and supporting friends and family members in new ways.
- Stay calm, listen, and offer reassurance.
- Monitor television viewing and social media.
- Take time to talk.
- Be honest and accurate, but keep explanations age-appropriate.
- Stay connected to school.
- Know the symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath).
- Model basic hygiene and healthy lifestyle practices.
- Be aware of your children’s mental health.
Additional resources for parents can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/children.html and https://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources-and-podcasts/school-climate-safety-and-crisis/health-crisis-resources/helping-children-cope-with-changes-resulting-from-covid-19
To help prevent the spread of disease, the public is reminded to:
– Wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, and wash them more frequently throughout the day;
– Avoid touching your face;
– Cover your coughs or sneezes;
– Avoid close contact with others by keeping a distance of six feet, especially around people who are sick;
– Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces;
– Work from home if you can;
– If you are 60 years of age or older, have serious medical conditions such as heart disease or diabetes, or have a chronic medical condition (no matter what age), you are at high risk. Individuals who meet any of the above criteria should avoid groups of people including small family gatherings and stay in their homes as much as possible.
– If you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with others. Talk to your health care provider before you visit a clinic or hospital emergency department.
– Only if your symptoms are severe or you are experiencing a life threatening emergency, call 911 and the 911 dispatcher will screen your call per established protocol.
Residents are also encouraged to continue to check for daily updates on COVID-19 in our county by visiting the COVID-19 page of the Chautauqua County website at chqgov.com, Chautauqua County Health Department Facebook page at www.facebook.com/myhealthycounty/ , and Chautauqua County Government Facebook page at www.facebook.com/chautauquacountygovernment. Daily COVID-19 updates are also emailed directly to the “Monday Morning Memo” distribution list. Individuals can sign-up to receive these alerts by email, by going to chqgov.com and under the County Executive’s page signing up under the Monday Morning Memo Newsletter tab.
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