Hmm, just wondering would the decent, responsible, common sense, intelligent person consider these numbers to be alarming. To be urgent, emergent, and therefore requiring of immediate action. Bold decisive leadership and effective action.
If there was a state of emergency many months ago, and we have had more people die since then, than before then, how can anyone in good conscience not see the need for mask mandates, continued best practices, and vaccine mandates.
CHAUT COUNTY:
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ERIE COUNTY:
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As we predicted, Covid deaths in America has now surpassed 750,000, over ¾ of a million people!
In New York alone now over 59,000 people quickly approaching 60,000
Chautauqua County now has 219 deaths, double that of approx. 9-10 months ago
COVID-19 Statistics for November 14-November 20, 2021
(updated 12:00 on 11/24/2021)
| Total Cases | New Cases This Week | New Deaths | Active Cases Today | Total Recovered | Currently Hospitalized | Total Deaths | People in Quarantine Today | 7-Day Average % Positive* | CDC Level of Community Transmission |
| 14890 | 663 | 4 | 671 | 14000 | 50 | 219 | 1214 | 9.1% | HIGH |
COVID-19 Statistics for November 7-November 13, 2021
(updated 1:30 p.m. on 11/17/2021)
| Total Cases | New Cases This Week | New Deaths | Active Cases Today | Total Recovered | Currently Hospitalized | Total Deaths | People in Quarantine Today | 7-Day Average % Positive* | CDC Level of Community Transmission |
| 14227 | 436 | 2 | 475 | 13536 | 23 | 216 | 1153 | 8.0% | HIGH |
*https://forward.ny.gov/percentage-positive-results-county-dashboard
CDC COVID-19 Integrated County View: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view 
For the weeks of 8/21/21 to the present in Chaut Co we have had further Covid deaths (3 more in the last week, 4 more the week before that) and 1000’s of new Covid cases and in all but 2 of those weeks our cases trend is “increasing”. [and yet still we are only 60% fully vaccinated!]
COVID-19 Dashboard | Chautauqua County, NY (chqgov.com)
To our north in Erie Co NY they now have over 2200 Covid deaths,
To our east in Catt Co NY last over 150
To our west in Erie PA they now have over 530 Covid deaths,
To our south in Warren Co PA last reported was 147 deaths
Chautauqua County Residents Vaccinated for COVID-19
| At Least One Dose | Fully Vaccinated | |||
| People Vaccinated | Number | Percent | Number | Percent |
| Total County Population
Total New York State Population |
75,231 | 59.9%
77.3% |
68,062 | 53.9%
68.1% |
Only 15% of COVID-19 Cases Reported Since August 1, 2021 have occurred in persons fully Vaccinated. And; those are cases – not deaths, not severe immediate medical distress, not debilitating long term illness; No, that is what is occurring amongst the unvaccinated – and yet sadly, incomprehensibly, there are still some innocent folks (who are getting vaccinated, wearing masks, taking all measures possible to be safe and responsible) getting caught up in this because the longer the unvaccinated levels continue, the longer it therefore takes to reduce the virus potency, and the more time it has to mutate, and the worse off and at risk we all are.
U.S. has already seen more COVID deaths in 2021 than 2020 before vaccines were available, as experts again warn pandemic is not over
The U.S. has already suffered more deaths from the coronavirus-borne illness COVID-19 in 2021 than in 2020, even though vaccines that prevent serious illness and death have been available since April, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
With more than a month to go to close out the year, the CDC has recorded 386,233 COVID deaths in 2021 through Tuesday, more than the 385,343 counted in 2020, as the New York Times reported.
The paper cited experts as saying the cause was not just the low vaccine uptake, but also due to the relaxation of safety measures such as wearing face masks and avoiding indoor gatherings, with many people wrongly assuming that vaccines had effectively ended the crisis (even though they haven’t got one!).
That has also led to a fresh rise in cases, hospitalizations and deaths in recent weeks after all three had fallen from their early September peaks.
Deaths of our fellow Americans continue to average more than 1,100 a day, meaning the U.S. is seeing casualties equal to those suffered in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, 2001 – every three days!!
Can you imagine that – oh wait you can because it’s actually happening regardless of how devoid of reality you may be!!!
The CDC’s vaccine tracker is showing that almost 196 million people living in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, equal to just 59% of the overall population, and well below the minimum 70% threshold experts previously said was needed to stop the spread. With all the feet dragging and foolish resistance, that threshold is now understated, according to Dr. Celine Gounder, an infectious disease expert at Bellevue Hospital Center, now an 85% to 90% vaccination rate may be required just to make the virus endemic, meaning it still exists but at a lower level without the spikes that have repeatedly emerged in the last two years.
LET US KNOW RIP APART SOME NEWS OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS:
(OUR EMPHASIS ADDED)
WHAT, ARE YOU KIDDING, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WAITING FOR?
No New County Mask Mandates Expected — For Now
NOV 24, 2021 GREGORY BACON County Reporter gbacon@observertoday.com
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel continues to be concerned about rising COVID numbers, however he isn’t ready yet to make any new mandates regarding mask wearing.
(YOU SHOULD BE MORE THAN CONCERNED, SHOULD HAVE BETTER FORESIGHT AND START SEEING IT, AND DO MORE THAN CONSIDER IT – START IMPLEMENTING IT – AND ENFORCE IT – AND SOONER NOT LATER)
“I don’t see us doing that (requiring masks), but that’s not to say we’re not considering it,” he said Tuesday during a telephone interview.
On Monday night, the Fredonia Village Board announced it was requiring masks for visitors to village hall. Chautauqua County doesn’t have those regulations in county buildings, excluding for attending court, which masks are required by the state.
(GOOD FOR FREDONIA DOING THE SMART RESPONSIBLE THING, AND HOW RIDICULOUS THE STATE REQUIRES THIS IN ONE PART OF OUR COUNTY BUILDING WHILE THE COUNTY DOESN’T IN THE REST. THE COUNTY HEALTH DEPT HAS TO BE GOING OUT OF THEIR MINDS OVER THAT FOOLISHNESS)
Wendel noted that he has a team that he regularly meets with to help make recommendations. Among those on the team are Christine Schuyler and Dr. Robert Berke, both of whom are a part of the county Board of Health. Last week that board recommended more mask wearing, although it doesn’t have the authority to make mask mandates.
(RIGHT THE BOARD DOESN’T HAVE THE AUTHORITY, THE EXECUTIVE DOES, IS HE REALLY LISTENING? SEE THE ARTICLE TO FOLLOW FOR MORE ON THIS***)
Wendel also stays in contact with state officials. Over the weekend there was a discussion among county leaders across the state regarding the rise in COVID cases in New York.
“The crisis we’re seeing isn’t in New York state only,” he noted.
One of the things Wendel’s appreciated about Gov. Kathy Hochul compared to former Gov. Andrew Cuomo is her willingness to do things differently in different communities.
“She’s not a ‘one size fits all,’” he said.
For example, Chautauqua County has a 9.1% positive testing rate, while New York City’s rate is around 1.5%.
“Still, that’s a whole lot of people infected every day,” he said, referring to the total number of people in New York City.
(THE PRECEDING STATEMENTS ARE WORHTLESS. WE AGREE HOCHUL IS MUCH BETTER THAN CUOMO, BUT BEYOND THAT CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY SHOULD NOT IN THIS CONTEXT GIVE A DAMN WHATS GOING ON OUTSIDE NEW YORK STATE, NOR IN NY CITY, NOR BE MAKING APPLES FOR ORANGES COMPARISIONS, AND YEH ONE SIZE DOESN’T FIT ALL, WE HAVE SOME OF THE WORST NUMBERS IN THE STATE AND SHOULD BE ACTING ACCORDINGLY.)
Wendel said he would like the governor to consider a state-run testing facility and/or a state-run vaccination clinic in Chautauqua County. Ultimately, Wendel believes the state needs to adjust its plan to fight COVID.
(THIS HAS NOTHING, DO YOU HEAR – NOTHING, TO DO WITH MASK MANDATES)
“If we’ve followed the flow chart, the higher rate should be reducing,” he said. “We should change something. We should be able to come up with something for a new strategy moving forward.”
(HOW ABOUT THIS STRATEGY, STOP BEING ON THE SIDE OF RESISTING MASK MANDATES, VACCINE MANDATES, AND TO INCLUDE THE SAME PERTAINING TO SCHOOLS)
Locally, Wendel said hospital rates are increasing but not at a point where he believes changes need to be made.
“They’ve gone up but again, nothing that we’re hearing is overwhelming,” he said.
(WHAT! THOSE ON THE FRONT LINE OF A HOSPITAL WHO IS NEAR CAPACITY AND WHO’S NUMBERS HAVE DOUBLED WE THING BEG TO DIFFER)
Along with the rising COVID cases, Wendel is also concerned about students who have to miss school due to quarantine issues. Unvaccinated students who are identified as a close contact must quarantine for 10 days. He said he’s heard from parents that have had their children three times this school year have to quarantine due to being listed as close contact.
“That’s 30 days of school they’ve missed,” he said.
(HMM, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT A CHILD MISSING SCHOOL FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, OR 30+ DAYS IN A HOSPITAL, OR THEIR PARENT OR GRANDPARENT BEING DEAD OR DEBILITATED, AS WELL AS OTHERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY; AND HOW ABOUT SOME CHILDREN DELEVOPING LONG TERM MEDICAL PROBLEMS DURING THE WEEKS, MONTHS, AND YEARS AHEAD INTO THEIR SCHOOL EXPERIENCE)
Neighboring Erie County in New York has implemented a new mask mandate. County Executive Mark Poloncarz said that masks must be worn in all public settings. This is considered Phase one. If numbers continue to rise, Poloncarz said they will look at Phase two. That phase would require vaccines to enter indoor dining, bars and entertainment venues.
If COVID-19 numbers still rise, Erie County would look at Phase three, which would reinstate capacity restrictions in all public locations similar to what was implemented by New York state in 2020. If all three phases fail, Phase four would entail shutdowns.
(OUR NUMBERS PER CAPITA ARE AS BAD AS ERIE COUNTY SO WHAT ARE WE DOING BESIDES PASSING A FOOLISH NON-BINDING RESOLUTION TO DECLARE OURSELVES WHAT WE ALREADY BETTER BE – A CONSTITUTIONAL COUNTY – BUT MOREOVER TO OPPOSE AN [unfortunately necessary] VACCINE MANDATE?)
Health Board Wants More Mask Wearing
NOV 20, 2021 GREGORY BACON gbacon
(AND SO DO WE. IT’S TIME TO MANDATE MASKS AGAIN, AND NOT BY SOME HALF MEASURE BUT RATHER ENFORCE IT IN SERIOUS WAY AS IF WE’VE ACTUALLY LEARNED OVER TIME JUST HOW SERIOUS A MATTER IT IS. AND, THAT DOESN’T JUST MEAN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THAT MEANS LOCAL GOV, SCHOOLS, COMPANIES, AND THE PUBLIC. IT IS NOT THE TIME TO FIGHT AGAINST PUBLIC EMERGENCY MANDATES THAT ARE A NECESSITY BUT RATHER IT IS TIME TO FIGHT TO SEE THEM THROUGH, AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE, AND END THIS MAJOR DISRUPTION, END THIS MAJOR TRAGEDY, AND NOT PROLONG IT ANY FURTHER BY BEING FOOLISH AND DELUSIONAL).
Health officials are discouraged with the rising COVID cases in Chautauqua County and want to see more people wearing masks.
During the county Board of Health meeting, Christine Schuyler, public health director and commissioner of Social Services, said cases right now haven’t been this high since January and she envisions it getting worse.
“It seems to me like we’re facing a perfect COVID-19 storm. The delta strain is much more contagious than last year’s original strain. Vaccine immunity seems to be waning for those vaccinated six months ago. Fewer people are wearing masks. More people are gathering indoors without social distancing and we have some areas with really low vaccination rates,” she said.
Friday morning Pfizer and Moderna announced the Food and Drug Administration’s decision allowing anyone 18 or older to choose either company’s booster six months after their last dose — regardless of which vaccine they had first. Later on Friday the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention gave its endorsement as well.
About 53% of Chautauqua County residents have been fully vaccinated. That number increases to 63.3% for adults 18 and up.
(HOW DISCOURAGING AND WE WOULD BE REMISS WITHOUT SAYING INFURIATING, THAT ARE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO LAG LIKE THIS)
Gov. Kathy Hochul announced on Thursday that statewide 80% of adults 18 and up are fully vaccinated. Schuyler said the delta strain is making herd immunity much more difficult. “When experts said early on that we needed about a 70% vaccination rate to reach herd immunity, that was when vaccines first came out. … That delta variant has hit really hard. Hence, now they say it’s more like a 90 to 95% vaccination or acquired immunity rate to get us near herd immunity,” she said.
Still, Schuyler said the vast majority of those in hospitals and deaths are from those who have not been vaccinated.
“The vaccine is doing its job. It’s job is to keep people from getting seriously ill and requiring needing to be hospitalized or suffering from the worst case scenario,” she said, referring to dying from COVID-19.
In Chautauqua County, since the pandemic began 216 people have died from the virus. The breakdown is as follows: three deaths — ages 39 and younger; four deaths ages 40-49; 21 deaths ages 50-59; 32 deaths ages 60-69; 43 deaths ages 70-79; 68 deaths ages 80-89; and 45 deaths ages 90 and up.
The county Board of Health passed a resolution encouraging all people in the county to wear masks indoors in public places, regardless of one’s vaccination status. The resolution is in line with what is recommended by the Center for Disease Control for high transmission communities, like Chautauqua County. Members noted they can’t require mask wearing; that’s something the state can only mandate.
(WELL YES AND NO. THE STATE CAN MANDATE IT AGAIN STATEWIDE YES, BUT NO THAT’S NOT THE ONLY WAY, THE EXECUTIVE CAN LISTEN TO YOU AND MANDATE FROM THE COUNTY LEVEL AT THIS POINT JUST LIKE NEXT DOOR IN ERIE COUNTY)
“With the disease amount that we have in our county and the number of people getting sick …. we have an obligation to make clear to folks how we think,” said Lillian Ney, president of the county Board of Health, who proposed the resolution.
(YEP)
Board member Dr. Robert Berke, said he, too, supports the recommendation of mask wearing and wants more people to get vaccinated.
“We are facing an extistential crisis in a sense, because we have a population, a third of which don’t even want to know about this, and don’t want to get vaccinated. They think it’s a joke or a hoax and they’re propogating this process,” he said.
(YEP, AND WE HAVE NO KIND WORDS FOR THEM)
Board member Mark McConnon said citizens have responsibility to get vaccinated.
“We have a civic responsibility to our fellow people. Getting vaccinated and doing the proper prevention is part of that,” he said.
(YEP, ON SO MANY LEVELS THIS IS TRUE)
Board member Mark Tarbrake said too many people are stubborn about the vaccine.
“I know some very intelligent people that just don’t like to be told what to do,” he said.
(OH HOW TRUE, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THEY HAVE BE TOLD, WHICH THEY HAVE LAREGLY BROUGHT ON THEMSELVES, AND WHICH MAKES THEM, THOUGH INTELLIGENT SURE, ALSO FOOLS)
Board member Dr. John Tallet agrees.
“It’s strange how the American population’s attitude has changed. Go back to smallpox, polio, chickenpox, measles, everybody was in — 100% percent, they got vaccinated. You can’t go to school unless you’ve had the MMR and nobody objects to that,” he said.
(RIGHT, INCLUDING NECESSARY BOOSTERS BY THE WAY, TETANUS COMES TO MIND. UNFORTUNATELY THE GREATEST GENERATION HAS SINCE MOSTLY PASSED AND WE HAVE POLARIZATION AND DIVISIVENESS, WHICH LEADS TO AN IDIOCRACY NOT SEEN IN DECADES IF EVER TO THIS DEGREE, AND SADLY THAT LEAVES US TO CALL OUT SO MANY THAT ARE PARTICIPANTS THEREOF.)
PERHAPS THESE WORDS WILL HELP IT SINK IN: “ASK NOT WHAT YOUR COUNTRY CAN DO FOR YOU, BUT WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR YOUR COUNTRY” – PRESIDENT JOHN F KENNEDY, WHO BY TODAYS STANDARDS MIGHT NO LONGER BE WELCOME IN HIS OWN PARTY, JUST AS WE SOMETIMES WONDER WHETHER WE ARE.
COVID Hospitalizations Double In County
NOV 26, 2021 THE POST-JOURNAL editorial@post-journal.com
The number of people in Chautauqua County hospitals who have tested positive for COVID-19 has more than doubled in the last week.
The county Health Department this week released its latest COVID statistics, noting that 50 people were hospitalized as of Tuesday. There were 23 people hospitalized in stats released last week.
At its height Jan. 13 of this year, there were 57 people with the virus in the hospital locally. “Our county is approaching that peak this week,” the health department said in a news release.
From Nov. 14 to Nov. 20, the county recorded 663 new cases of the virus and four new deaths, along with 1,214 people in quarantine and a seven-day positivity rate of 9.1%.
“The Delta strain of the coronavirus is very contagious and is especially making those unvaccinated very, very ill,” said Christine Schuyler, county public health director. “I’m saddened and frustrated to see so many people struggling to breathe, hospitalized, going on ventilators, and many survivors left dealing with long-term health impacts. If you are not vaccinated, you are really taking a chance.”
In addition to hospitalizations, the county said it’s seeing the highest rates of infections among school-aged children to date…
(LET US REPEAT THIS – THE HIGHEST RATES OF INFECTIONS AMONG SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN TO DATE. WELL THIS WOULD BE A GREAT TIME TO DAMPEN AND RESIST EFFORTS TO GET KIDS VACCINATED EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE REQUIRED TO GET 9 OTHER VACCINATIONS TO ATTTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS; AND DEFINANTLY THE RIGHT TIME TO GO AGAINST MASK WEARING INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING, REQUIRING, AND ENFORCING IT)
The county Health Department and the county Board of Health strongly recommend vaccination and boosters for all of those eligible and recommend that everyone, regardless of vaccination status, wear a mask in indoor public settings, wash hands frequently, and stay home and away from others if ill.
To date there have been 14,890 confirmed cases of the virus in the county, 14,000 recoveries and 219 virus-related deaths.
Fredonia Mandates Masks For Village Hall Use
NOV 24, 2021 M.J. STAFFORD Staff Reporter mstafford@observertoday.com
FREDONIA — The village hall in Fredonia is requiring masks for visitors again.
(EXCELLENT, AS ALL SHOULD BE DOING, AND ENFORCING)
Prompted by Mayor Douglas Essek, the Board of Trustees agreed to require the masks in village-owned buildings Monday as a response to rising COVID-19 rates in the area. The move came just hours after neighboring Erie County resumed mask-wearing mandates for public buildings…
“I think (the spike in COVID-19 rates) is a really serious issue, but I can’t see why we can’t go to mandatory mask wearing for everybody if that’s the case,” Trustee James Lynden said. He cited Erie County’s move to mandate masks.
(SURE GLAD SOMEONE IS)
“That’s exactly why I’m bringing it up,” replied Essek, who attended Monday’s meeting remotely as the trustees gathered in Village Hall. “Right now, there’s no state of emergency, so it’s still up to the board of how the board would want to handle procedures, especially in village owned buildings and at meetings.”
(WELL AT THIS POINT, WE WOULD CONTEND OVERDUE, THERE SHOULD BE ONE)
Unlike many of his fellow Republicans, Essek has consistently backed mask-wearing and other anti-COVID mandates throughout the pandemic. He had a life-threatening bout with the disease in December 2020.
Lynden asked him Monday if Chautauqua County officials had issued any new mask guidance yet. Essek said that, as of Monday evening, they had not.
“They haven’t changed the guidelines, but the levels of infection are skyrocketing in our county and in all of Western New York as well,” the mayor added. “I think it’s just a matter of time before the guidelines change.”
(AND WHY NOT ONE MIGHT ASK. THE GUIDELINES ARE NOT CHANGED, DO NOT SEEM TO BE NECESSARILY FLUID AND RESPONSIVE, AFTER ALL LEVELS OF INFECTION ARE SKYROCKETING – IN “OUR” COUNTY)
Village Clerk Annemarie Johnston wondered how the village would enforce mask-wearing. “When someone comes up without a mask, who’s going to take care of it?” said Trustee Scott Johnston, who is AnneMarie Johnston’s husband.
Annemarie Johnston offered to bring a box of masks for those without them, “but then if they don’t want to wear it, we’d have to have a way to deal with that.”
“Then we would ask them to leave,” said Trustee EvaDawn Bashaw.
(THAT’S RIGHT, APPRECIATE THAT, IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, HAVE A BOX OF MASKS ON HAND, THEY ARE AFTER ALL READILY AVAILABLE THESE DAYS.
- SO A PERSON COMES IN MASKLESS, DESPITE THE SIGN ON THE OUTSIDE DOOR NOT TO, THEY ARE OFFERED A COURTESY MASK THIS TIME, AND TOLD DON’T COME AGAIN WITHOUT ONE
- THEY ARE REFUSED TO BE ASSISTED IN ANY WAY UNTIL THEY PUT IN ON AND WEAR IT PROPERLY FITTED.
- IF THEY REFUSE IT, OR PUT IT ON TO GET IN BUT THEN TAKE IT DOWN OR TAKE IT OFF THEY ARE TOLD TO GET OUT
- IF THEY REFUSE TO GET OUT THE POLICE DEPT REMOVES THEM
- ITS THAT SIMPLE, AND WE WOULD ADD IF THE PERSON IS SO STUPID, SO IRRESPONSBILE, AND WANTS TO FIGHT ABOUT IT OR BE THREATENING, THEY SHOULD BE CHARGED
- AND WE’LL TAKE IT EVEN ONE STEP FARTHER. THE POLICE SHOULD DEMAND PROOF OF VACCINATION AND IF THEY ARE NOT VACCINATED AND MASKLESS, THEREBY KNOWINGLY BEING A HEALTH THREAT PUTTING OTHER AT RISK, PERHAPS DIRE RISK, THEY SHOULD BE CHARGED ACCORDINGLY. RECKLESS ENDANGEMENT, DISORDERLY CONDUCT, DISTURBING THE PEACE – ALL COME TO MIND
Essek pointed out that requiring masks in Village Hall would also cover the board meetings, as they are held in the building.
Village officials agreed to require masks in village buildings until further notice. Village Attorney Melanie Beardsley said the trustees should pass a resolution to formalize the move at their next meeting, set for Nov. 29.
(THIS SHOULD APPLY EVERYWHERE. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH PEOPLE. NO SHIRT NO SHOES NO SERVICE HAS BEEN WELL ESTABLISHED PUBLIC HEALTH CODE FOR DECADES AND YEP YOU CAN BE REFUSED, ASKED TO LEAVE, AND REMOVED IF YOU WON’T LISTEN. A MASK TO HELP PREVENT THE SPREAD OF A HIGH CONTAGION PANDEMIC VIRUS AND THE POTENTIAL SEVERE ILLNESS OR DEATH RESULTING THEREFROM, IS A HELL OF A LOT MORE IMPORTANT AND CONSEQUENTIAL THAN THE ISSUE OF SHIRTS AND SHOES!)
County’s COVID Transmission Remains High
NOV 18, 2021 GREGORY BACON gbacon
The transmission of COVID-19 in Chautauqua County continues to remain high.
(NOTE IT IS NOT AT THE ESTABLISHED THRESHOLD OF HIGH, BUT ACTUALLY WELL OVER SUCH)
On its dashboard Wednesday, the county Health Department reported 436 new cases from Nov. 7 to 13, with two new deaths. Overall, there are 475 active cases, 23 hospitalizations and 1,153 residents in quarantine.
There have been 13,536 recoveries, 216 total deaths and 14,227 total cases. The county’s positivity rate for the week was 8%.
(IT IS MORE THAN WORTH POINTING OUT THAT 13,536 RECOVERIES IS A STATISTIC AND ONE THAT IS A MISNOMER. THEY ARE CONSIDERED RECOVERED BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER IN A HOSPITAL OR DEAD. HOWEVER, OF THIS HIGH NUMBER WE KNOW THAT LONG HAUL COVID AFFECTS MANY, OR IN OTHERWORDS THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS NOW AS A RESULT OF HAVING GOTTEN COVID, FOR MONTHS AND YEARS TO COME AND PERHAPS THE REST OF THEIR LIVES. EVEN 5% OF THAT NUMBER = HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE)
“Sadly our cases continue to increase. It’s not just here. It seems to be in most areas, especially across Western New York,” said Christine Schuyler, public health director and commissioner of Social Services.
Statewide, New York’s positivity rate is 3.47%. By comparison the transmission rate is 1.44% in New York City, 2.5% in Mid-Hudson and 3.59% in Long Island.
Overall, 59.3% of all county residents residents have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Schuyler applauded those in the county who are 65 and up. She noted that 90% in that age group have received at least one dose of a vaccine. She also recommends those individuals get a booster shot if they received the J&J vaccine more than two months ago or the Pfizer or Moderina vaccine six months ago.
Various media reports say the Federal Drug Administration may recommend boosters for everyone regardless of age by the end of the week, but Schuyler said they haven’t heard anything official yet.
With the holiday season quickly approaching, Schuyler said senior citizens, people who are immunocompromised, individuals with chronic medical conditions or those pregnant should take extra precaution. She notes that this strain of COVID-19 is more contagious, so the Health Department is worried about another uptick following family gatherings. “We are encouraging people who are planning on gathering with others to stay home if they are ill,” she said.
Earlier this month the Center For Disease Controls announced that the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine was authorized for use in children ages 5-11. In Chautauqua County, preliminary numbers show that 585 children have been vaccinated, which would be about 6% of the eligible population. “I fully realize parents have a lot of questions about vaccinating their young ones who are now eligible between ages 5 and 11. I don’t think a lot of people realize COVID is top 10 death among children,” said Schuyler.
(DID YOU HEAR THIS? THESE NUMBERS AMONG CHILDREN ARE NOW INCREASING AND WORSENING BY THE DAY NOW, AS FOR ONE THING THEY ARE STILL A LARGE SEGMENT OF THE UNVACCINATED, AND FOR ANOTHER AS THE VIRUS HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MUTATE WHICH IT HAS INTO STRAINS MORE THREATENING TO THE YOUNG AS OPPOSED TO THE ORIGINAL THAT MORE THREATENED THE OLD. THIS OF COURSE IS EXACERBATED BY THE FACT THAT WE COLLECTIVELY ARE STILL FAR FROM ACHIEVING HEARD IMMUNITY)
Schuyler has talked to many pedatricians and family practice doctors since children were permitted to be vaccinated. She notes the research for a vaccine for coronavirus began in the mid 1990s. That makes this vaccine more studied more than any other vaccine in history before being put it use. “It’s safe, effective, and the complications that can come along with COVID-19 infections are far more risky than the vaccine itself,” she said.
COVID Stress Rising At Hospitals
NOV 23, 2021 JOHN D’AGOSTINO jdagostino@observertoday.com
With Thanksgiving only two days away, there is reason for worry locally when it comes to the COVID-19 virus.
According to the most recent numbers available through New York state, 391 COVID patients are filling the beds of the hospitals in Western New York as of Friday. Only New York City has a higher rate. There, 415 patients are reported in beds with the virus.
Even locally, though area hospital officials will not reveal the high numbers, there are indicators of another major spike right before the holidays. At Brooks-TLC Hospital System in Dunkirk last last week, workers reported to the OBSERVER that beds were filled to capacity. “Beds fill as soon as they become empty,” one Facebook post noted. “Staff is burned out.”
According to the state dashboard, the hospital capacity in Western New York is the highest it has been since Feb. 1 when 396 patients were in beds. In terms of new patients, Friday COVID admissions of 78 were the highest since Dec. 31 when the number was 87.
Just last week, county Public Health Director Christine Schuyler admitted her increasing concerns. “Sadly, our cases continue to increase. It’s not just here,” she said. “It seems to be in most areas, especially across Western New York.”
Chautauqua County in its weekly dashboard update on Wednesday, reported 23 hospitalizations from Nov. 7 to 13. Those numbers, especially in the north county, appear to be on the rise.
Western New York’s positivity rate remained the highest of all regions over the weekend at 9.48%. Second highest was the Finger Lakes at 8.59%. New York City — where 8 million reside — had the lowest positivity rate at 1.57%.
Neighboring Erie County is well aware of the growing cases. On Monday afternoon, County Executive Mark Poloncarz mandated that starting at 6 a.m. today masks must be worn in all public indoor facilities.
Poloncarz also said if the mask mandate doesn’t work by mid-December, the county will require vaccine mandates for indoor dining.
Erie County, home to the city of Buffalo, recorded 456 new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, more than quadruple the federal government’s threshold for high transmission, according to Poloncarz.
“This is one of the largest seven-day periods we’ve ever seen,” Poloncarz said in a virtual briefing Monday.
Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said officials will be taking necessary information into account regarding masking.
“We’re going to continue to look at the information as it affects Chautauqua County and make our determination as we go,” he said. “Erie County is much larger, a much different demographic and a much different situation than we have here in Chautauqua County. So, like everything else, we will bring it to the team, we will discuss it, we will look at the science and we will make a decision on where we go.”
(RIGHT YOU CAN COMPARE APPLES FOR ORANGES AS TO CERTAIN ISSUES, BUT WHAT YOU CANNOT IS WHEN YOU BOIL THINGS DOWN TO PER CAPITA RATES AND APPLES FOR APPLES COMPARISIONS – THE LEVEL OF SPREAD, RISING NUMBERS OF CHILDREN AFFECTED, OVERALL INFECTION, RATES AND CAPACITY REGARDING HOSPITALIZATION, SEVERITY OF ILLNESS, AND PEOPLE DYING. OVERALL OUR NUMBERS ARE JUST AS BAD AS THEIRS, SOMETIMES WORSE.
STOP DISCUSSING AND START ACTING, AND IF ANYONE IS REALLY LISTENING TO THE SCIENCE, REAL SCIENCE, AND DAMN THE POLITICS, YOU WOULD BE. YOU WOULD BE SUPPORTING VACCINES MANDATES “WHICH ARE CONSTITUTIONAL” WHEN PURSUED PROPERLY, AND YOU WOULD BE SUPPORTING MASK MANDATES AS WELL AS LIMITING (NOT OUTRIGHT BANNING, BUT RATHER THOUGHTFULLY RESPECTFULLY LIMITING) CERTAIN ACTIVITIES IN OUR SOCIETY, NECESSARILY, FOR NOW.
Whats Right for Chautauqua County 