COVID-19 Cases Increase To Seven In Chautauqua County

MAYVILLE – Officials in Chautauqua County say the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases have increased to seven.

During Saturday’s update by the Chautauqua County COVID-19 Response Team, officials said the two new cases include a woman in her 70s, with no recent travel, and a woman in her 30s, with no recent travel outside the country, but had travel to Erie County, New York.

“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,” officials said. “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 is now conducting an investigation to identify close contacts of the new cases.

“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,” officials said. “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.”

State guidelines say 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.

Additionally, the number of those under some type of quarantine is as follows:

• 21 people are now 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).

So far the county has received 84 negative test results to date.

The 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,” officials furthered.