BREAKING – EXCLUSIVE: Allegany County, NY, is entering another weekend with a jump in weekly COVID-19 cases to date, and with significant numbers of positives being of note in several parts of the county.
The Allegany County Department of Health, in response to our daily Freedom of Information (FOIL) requests for localized data is reporting 90 new cases through yesterday, compared with 105 for all of last week and 85 through last Thursday.
The Wellsville zip code already has surpassed totals for the past two weeks, with 31 positives, or more than one-third of the total, being recorded for the first five days of this week, versus 27 for all of last week and 30 for the prior seven days.
There also have been in:
– Bolivar – Eight through Thursday versus 10 last week and six the week before.
– Belmont – Continuing last week’s escalation, with seven through yesterday compared with 13 last week and only three the week before.
– Belfast – Five this week versus three for all of last week and one for the prior seven days.
– Friendship – Five thus far this week versus six in each of the prior two weeks.
– Canaseraga – Four through yesterday in contrast with two last week and three two weeks ago.
The remainder of cases are scattered in other parts of the county.
Deaths and hospitalizations
The number of deaths this month has reached three, as we reported earlier in the week, after no fatalities during the prior two months.
The average age of those hospitalized with COVID-19 has dropped in recent days, with two in the 45-to-64 and one in the 75-to-84 age bracket bein at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville on Wednesday. There have been two new patients so far this week.
No COVID-19 cases are hospitalized as of Wednesday at Cuba Memorial Hospital Inc., and St. James Hospital in Hornell, with nine at Olean General Hospital, down from 15 at the beginning of the week.
Underreported numbers
The numbers fail to reflect a full accounting of positives, however, due to home testing.
Although Allegany County does record additional numbers over the state and federal government data due to an online self-reporting system, it is assumed that totals still are lower than actual numbers due to individuals being unaware of the system, not remembering it or choosing not to report.
The chart accompanying this story is from the State Health Department which shows Allegany County, Western New York Region and state data since the start of the pandemic.
Even by those lesser number collection standards, reported positives for Allegany County continue to show a much more accelerated trend than those for the other two reporting geographies.
Allegany County is continuing to request that those testing positive through self or home tests enter the information at https://bit.ly/3zymEWF to aid in better determination as to the number of cases in the county and their general locations.
Various online COVID-19 Trackers, information from which may not agree with each other due to different reporting time frames, are available at:
– Allegany County Daily Cases – Under COVID-19 Updates: https://bit.ly/3ndrbZJ.
– New York State Department of Health COVID Tracker: https://on.ny.gov/31K0u7f.
– CDC Counties COVID Tracker: https://bit.ly/3GrWqHx.
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Public health and effective crisis management response, along with open government practices, are among several current focuses of Allegany Hope as we pursue efforts for Building Healthy Communities Through Health FamiliesTM.
We are seeking volunteer Ambassadors for various areas of need which you, yourself, may have identified and have a passion for as they relate to greater community awareness, education and action that leads to positive impact.
Learn more at https://bit.ly/3IHm3FY or by contacting us at AlleganyHopeWNY@outlook.com or (484) 435-0503.