Chautauqua County has 24 new COVID-19 cases, though hospitalizations are at seven countywide.

The county had a total of 54 new cases Saturday, Sunday and Monday, with the majority coming from Jamestown (16). Fredonia had six of the new cases, Dunkirk and Bemus Point each had four of the new cases and the rest of the cases were spread throughout the county. Chautauqua County now has 147 active cases. To date, the county has 1,186 recovered cases; 15 deaths; and 1,348 total confirmed cases.

Statewide, the virus continued to claim victims at a rate unseen since the spring. Nearly 2,000 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 as of Sunday, the state announced. That’s the most since early June, up from a low of 410 on Sept. 5. Over the past seven days, the state has averaged 4,500 positive tests per day. The state’s hospitals and nursing homes have reported 185 deaths over the past seven days.

“COVID-19 is spreading in New York, and the increased number of cases is taking place throughout the state. This is not an Upstate or downstate issue — all New Yorkers, regardless of where they live, have cause for concern,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. “We are continuing to use a comprehensive micro-cluster strategy and increase our testing capacity to new heights. However, our success also depends on the vigilance and smart behavior of New Yorkers. Wash your hands, stay socially distanced and wear a mask. Local governments, do the enforcement. We’re going to get through this pandemic, but only if we do it together and stay New York Tough.”

Cuomo said the positive testing rate in all focus areas under the state’s micro-cluster strategy is 4.19%, and outside the focus zone areas is 2.5%.

The COVID-19 positivity rate throughout Western New York was 4.6% Friday, 5.6% Saturday and 5.2% Sunday — though that isn’t the case in Chautauqua County. Friday’s positivity rate in Chautauqua County was 1.2%, followed by 1.7% and 1.7% rates Sunday. The county’s seven-day positivity rate is 1.4%.

Allegany County tested 125 people Sunday with six tests coming back positive for a 4.8% positivity rate. The seven-day positivity rate in Allegany County is 6.6%. Cattaraugus County tested 307 people on Sunday, with five testing positive for a 1.6% positivity rate. Cattaraugus County’s seven-day positivity rate is 2.5%.

Erie County tested 4,561 people Sunday. Of that amount, 272 tested positive for a 6% positivity rate and a seven-day rolling average of 5.6%. Niagara County tested 1,000 people Sunday, with 45 testing positive for a 4.5% positivity rate and a 4.2% seven-day rolling positive rate.

In all, Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties are more in line with the state’s 2.5% positivity rate outside of the focus areas than the 4.19% rate inside the state’s focus areas.

FIND SERVICES APP

Cuomo also announced a new web application that will help New Yorkers locate benefits to assist them during their time of need. Developed through a public-private partnership with Google, the social services discovery application will help individuals who are either new to or unfamiliar with the state’s social programs network.

“COVID-19 has caused unprecedented demand for social services in New York, including families and individuals who have never relied on social programs before,” Cuomo said. “This new web application, the result of a public-private partnership, will provide New Yorkers with a user-friendly, stigma-free resource to get the assistance and relief they need.”

The web application is available at https://findservices.ny.gov/app/survey. It prompts each user with a series of simple questions aimed at narrowing the field of possible services to those that are best designed to serve their needs. After answering the questions, the user is provided with a ranked list of potential services along with a description to help residents judge if the service is right for them and provide them with more information about how to apply.

22ND CATTARAUGUS COUNTY DEATH

A 22nd death tied to COVID-19 was reported Sunday evening by the Cattaraugus County Health Department

Officials reported the woman was 82 years old and developed respiratory failure and was unable to overcome her illness despite aggressive medical treatment.

“We extend our deepest condolences to her family and the entire Cattaraugus County community,” the department noted.