Chautauqua County had two more positive cases of coronavirus over the weekend while Cattaraugus County had four. There are now seven cases in this county with another five in Cattaraugus County.

The new cases, reported from Mayville, included:

¯ 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, N.Y.

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 state Public Health Law.

Eighty-seven tests have come back negative in Chautauqua County.

Officials noted in their daily briefing Sunday that the Chautauqua County Public Health staff performs an intensive investigation to identify close contacts of positive COVID-19 cases. Following guidance from the state Department of Health, contact tracing begins on the day the person with the positive test started having symptoms.

The state Health Department 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,” officials said in a statement. “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.”

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).

¯ 22 individuals in Mandatory Isolation (individuals who are symptomatic of COVID-19 and are pending COVID-19 lab test).

The Chautauqua County COVID-19 Response Team continues to meet daily during this pandemic to stay up-to-date on rapidly changing situations. They ask that you do your part:

¯ 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.

¯ Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

¯ Stay home and avoid contact with others if you are sick.

New cases in Cattaraugus County, since Friday, included:

¯ A male resident who lives in the northwest part of the county with a travel history to New York City and Buffalo who has been asymptomatic (no fever, no cough or shortness of breath) but has been in close contact with a known positive COVID-19 patient tested positive. He was tested by Cattaraugus County Health Department for COVID-19 on Friday and the test result returned Saturday indicated that he was positive for COVID-19.

¯ A female resident who lives in the northwest part of the county with a travel history to Buffalo who has been asymptomatic (no fever, no cough or shortness of breath) but has been in close contact with a known positive COVID-19 patient tested positive. She was tested by Cattaraugus County Health Department for COVID-19 on Friday and the test result (returned on Saturday) indicated that she was positive for COVID-19.

Both patients are resting at home, and now under quarantine. They will be assessed for any medical support that we can provide and we will monitor their symptoms closely.

≤ A male resident who lives in the southeast part of the county with no known travel history who presented to the emergency room at Olean General Hospital with complaints of fever, cough and diarrhea. He was admitted with pneumonia and tested for COVID-19 on Friday and on Saturday, the test result indicated that he was positive for COVID-19. Upon discharge today, he and his family will be quarantined and assessed daily for any medical support that we can provide and we will monitor their symptoms closely.

On Saturday, the county announced its second case. A male resident who lives in the southwest part of the county with an extensive travel history to Buffalo developed joint pain on March 18, was seen at a chiropractor on March 20 in Buffalo. He developed cough, congestion, shortness of breath, and whole body aches. He contacted the Cattaraugus County Health Department where he tested for COVID-19 on Thursday and on Friday, the test result indicated that he was positive for COVID-19.

The Cattaraugus County Health Department has begun contact tracing and will notify the close contacts and facilities visited by any of the confirmed positives.