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Three new cases today; county blames gatherings for spike

It has been an unfortunate two days for Chautauqua County in terms of new coronavirus cases.

On Sunday, the county Health Department announced three new cases, two young adult males and one female in her 50s. That takes the number of confirmed cases to 53 — with seven in the last two days. The new cases include a pair in the north county and one in the south. According to the county map, there are now 38 cases in the north, seven in the south, four in the west and four in the east.

County officials noted today the increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases and in the number of ordered quarantine/isolation cases is due to people not abiding by social distancing guidelines and gathering together. New cases develop when people are in the same location at the same time and in close contact (defined as closer than 6 feet for longer than 10 minutes) with someone who is infected with the coronavirus. Large gatherings and parties cause an increase in the number of people being monitored.

Those who are identified as having been in close contact with a confirmed positive case are ordered, by the Public Health Director, to quarantine for 14 days.

“New York was put on PAUSE to decrease the spread of COVID-19 so that our healthcare systems were not overrun by too many seriously ill patients at one time,” said Christine Schuyler, County Public Health Director. “So far, it has worked here, but we are not out of the woods. We need to remain vigilant and smart about our actions.”

Fourteen of the cases are active and 35 have recovered. There have been four deaths, 214 cases under quarantine/isolation orders by the Public Health Director and being monitored. Also, there have been 1,754 negative test results to date.

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