Tag: ERIE

  • Erie County Department of Health Provides COVID-19 Public Health Update

    Erie County Department of Health Provides COVID-19 Public Health Update

    Covid-19 Pandemic Coverage

    Erie, PA — Erie County Department of Health provides a public health update on COVID-19. The community is welcome to contact the Erie County Department of Health for guidance. For details on how to stay up to date on vaccines and boosters, isolation and quarantine, preventing spread of COVID-19 in business establishments and events, and other information, contact [email protected] or 814-451-6700 or fill out the online Community Form at Eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/.

    Cases and data

    In the past week, June 6 Monday to 12 Sunday,

    ·       There were 369 cases reported, with a daily average of 53 cases.

    ·       There were 7 deaths reported, with dates of death from May 19 to 30, increasing the total death count to 815.

    ·       Among the reported 7 deaths, 1 was unvaccinated. This increases the total unvaccinated death count to 659, which is 81{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of the total deaths (815).

    The number of vaccinations and boosters administered from June 6 to 12 was 242. This increases the total number of vaccinations and boosters to 182,922.

    The current breakdown of vaccination status of the population is the following:

    Persons Of eligible population Of total population
    Partially vaccinated 9.2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} 8.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Fully vaccinated 62.5{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} 59.1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Received first booster 31.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} 30.0{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Received second booster 5.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} 5.4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}

    As of June 12, among the total reported in deaths in Erie County, the breakdown by vaccination status and age range is as follows:

    Reported Deaths Ages0-49 Ages50-64 Ages65 & older Sub-total Percentage breakdown
    Not vaccinated 31 92 536 659 81{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Partially vaccinated 0 4 30 34 4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Fully vaccinated without a booster 2 17 74 93 11{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Additional dose/booster 0 3 26 29 3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}
    Total 815 815 100{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}

    Related reference at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status

    Information on cases and deaths in Erie County and other data such as reports on vaccination demographics can be found at the Erie County Government website https://eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/positive-cases-in-erie-county/. Latest recommendations and related data is also available at the websites of

    ·       Pennsylvania Department of Health health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Cases.aspx

    ·       Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view

    Benefit of vaccination and boosters

    The benefit of staying up to date on vaccination and boosters, even for those who have had COVID-19, is that it helps the body prevent severe illness and lessens the likelihood of needing hospitalization. If having concerns or questions about vaccines, approach healthcare professionals or contact the Erie County Department of Health at 814-451-6700 for facts and answers.

    Boosters extend the effectiveness of vaccines against COVID-19 and help protect against variants. Based on data from Erie County, those who are boosted are:

    ·       7 times less like to be infected with COVID-19

    ·       14 times less likely to die from COVID-19

    Free vaccines and boosters are available for residents of Erie County ages 5 years and older. For list of local vaccination sites, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-vaccine.

    To find vaccines and boosters in other nearby locations text ZIP Code to 438829, visit vaccines.gov or call 1-800-232-0233

    Importance of testing

    Community members, vaccinated or unvaccinated, are recommended to get tested for COVID-19 if they have been exposed to anyone who has COVID-19 or if they have symptoms such as sore throat, coughing, upper respiratory congestion, difficulty breathing, fever or chills, muscle or body aches, vomiting or diarrhea, or loss of taste or smell. Testing results can help determine appropriate care and treatment if needed.

    Community members using home test kits who have questions or need guidance can call 814-451-6700.

    For list of local sites offering free testing, visit eriecountypa.gov/covid-19/covid-19-testing-information.

    Preventing spread

    According to the COVID-19 Community Levels guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), which is updated weekly, Erie County is now currently at medium risk.

    At this level, recommendations for preventing the spread of COVID-19 include the following:

    ·       Stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses, for 5 years and older, including those who are pregnant and plan on becoming pregnant. This means getting all recommended primary and booster doses when eligible.

    ·       Anyone may choose to mask at any time, regardless of vaccination status.

    ·       If you are (or live, work or have contact with someone who is) at high risk for severe illness or have a weak immune system, consider masking indoors and rapid testing before gatherings.

    ·       Get tested if you have symptoms or have been exposed to COVID-19.

    ·       Wear a mask if you have symptoms, positive test results, or have been exposed to COVID-19.

    ·       Stay home while waiting for test results. If you have positive test results, even if you don’t have symptoms, stay home and apart from others in your home and, if possible, use a separate bathroom; inform your close contacts to stay home and get tested.

    ·       Maintain improved ventilation throughout indoor spaces when possible.

  • ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing an update on COVID-19 data. For the week ending December 11, 2021, ECDOH received reports for 4,345 new COVID-19 cases among Erie County residents, a 22{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} decrease from the previous week. This weekly case count is very similar to pre-Thanksgiving holiday levels. Erie County’s COVID-19 case rate of 455 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for the week ending December 11 is a decrease from the previous week’s case rate of 580. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a case rate threshold of 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for a community to be considered to have “high transmission.”

    31{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of new COVID-19 cases last week were among city of Buffalo residents. For reference, city of Buffalo residents make up 29{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all Erie County residents. This past week the ZIP codes with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 persons were: 14202 (Buffalo, 29 cases), 14034 (Collins, 19 cases), 14218 (Buffalo, 131 cases), 14032 (Clarence Center, 53 cases) and 14212 (Buffalo, 70 cases). The small population of some of these ZIP codes can be impacted by a relatively small number of new COVID-19 cases. Eight ZIP codes have 7-day case rates of more than 600 new cases per 100,000 residents.

    Contact tracing case investigations continue to note family and household clusters of COVID-19 cases. With the holiday season approaching, ECDOH encourages people who plan to gather with friends and family to stay home and away from others if ill. Also, COVID-19 testing is a tool to make sure you know your COVID-19 status before small gatherings, especially if other guests are elderly, have chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions, are pregnant, or unvaccinated.

    About 48,000 COVID-19 test reports were received last week, an increase from the previous week’s total. Weekly test reports have remained stable over the past four weeks. ECDOH and health care providers within Erie County still have substantial diagnostic testing capacity. People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should strongly consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. The New York State Department of Health maintains a list of testing locations. ECDOH created a list of community COVID-19 testing resources for parents and caregivers. Free COVID-19 tests are available through ECDOH by calling 716-858-2929 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required for COVID-19 testing through ECDOH. Wait times for ECDOH appointment telephone line are longest in the morning. Callers may choose to call after 10 a.m. if they want to avoid a wait.

    The weekly positivity rate was 9.0{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}, down from 10.8{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for the week ending December 4. Positivity rates declined in all age groups, though children under age 18 years continue to have the highest positivity rates. For all cases under age 18, the positivity percentage was 10{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}; for all case ages 18 years and older, the positivity percentage was 8.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}. These higher positivity rates for children may reflect lower relative numbers of tests in these age groups, and a higher likelihood that symptomatic children and adolescents will seek a COVID-19 test for return to school purposes. The 30-39-year-old age group had the highest number of COVID-19 cases last week; this age group also had the highest 7-day case rate per 100,000 persons, at 738.

    For children under age 18 years, case totals decreased from the previous week by about 23{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}, to 1,345 cases, in line with the 22{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} decrease in countywide cases.

    The school team in the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology is managing a large volume of cases among k-12 students and school staff. Data for the week ending December 4 are incomplete* because official test reports are pending. The Thanksgiving holiday may have contributed to a lower number of tests and positive test results for the week ending November 27.

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 11, 2021

    With 374 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Erie County hospitals on December 12, 2021, the number of patients admitted to Erie County hospitals with COVID-19 has remained stable over the past two weeks. [See chart at end of release]. 258 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (69{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) were not fully vaccinated. Among those patients, 59 (77{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 77 patients admitted to the ICU were not fully vaccinated; and, 42 (79{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 53 patients with an airway assist were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines work to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) publishes statewide data for COVID-19 cases over time by vaccination status, and daily hospital admissions over time by vaccination status.                                                            

    ECDOH is reporting COVID-19 mortality data. ECDOH received reports of 52 COVID-19 associated deaths in the past seven days; these reports were from November and December. Total COVID-19-related deaths from March 2020 to December 9, 2021 now stand at 2,255, with 979 reported in 2021. CDC publishes national rates of COVID-19 related cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status.         

    Through December 13, 26.1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of 5-11-year-olds in Erie County have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. All adult age groups have at least 70{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of those populations with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Additional data, including vaccination estimates by ZIP code, are posted to the ECDOH web site. NYSDOH also updates vaccination data by demographics, by county and by ZIP code.                                                   

    ECDOH has an active schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, listed at www.erie.gov/vax. Additional clinics have been added throughout the county through December 30. Clinics for 5-11-year-olds are listed at www.erie.gov/vax. ECDOH will also vaccinate any eligible Erie County resident at their home. Call (716) 858-2929 for the “Vax Visit” program.

     

    ECDOH encourages Erie County residents who are not fully vaccinated to begin their COVID-19 vaccine series. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for youth and families attending school or child care.

    Following recent FDA authorization for COVID-19 vaccine booster doses for 16- and 17-year-olds, ECDOH vaccine clinics will provide a COVID-19 booster dose to anyone age 16 years and older as long as enough time has elapsed from their initial series completion (6 months for Pfizer and Moderna; 2 months for J&J). ECDOH encourages people to review the recommended booster eligibility criteria, evaluate their risk factors and talk to their own physician with questions. NYSDOH has further information about booster doses.

     

    Finally, CDC and NYSDOH have begun to report influenza data for the 2021-2022 flu season. Influenza activity remains low nationally but continues to increase. There are early signs that flu vaccination uptake is down this season compared to last. ECDOH reminds all residents that there is still time to get a flu vaccine; flu vaccine is recommended for everyone ages 6 months and older. Flu can have serious complications for older adults, individuals with immunocompromising medical conditions, pregnant women and infants.

    Chart: Erie County Hospitalization Data, last two weeks (November 29- December 12, 2021).
    Data Sources: New York State Department of Health and Erie County hospitals

     

    #

    ECDOH, COVID-19 vaccine info & clinic schedule: http://www.erie.gov/vax

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Information Line: (716) 858-2929 – foreign language interpretation available

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Weekly Data Updates: https://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=covid-19-media-data

    New York State Department of Health, COVID-19 Boosters: http://ny.gov/boosters

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  • ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 4, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 4, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 4, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing an update on COVID-19 data. For the week ending December 4, 2021, ECDOH received reports for 5,537 new COVID-19 cases among Erie County residents, a 30{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} increase from the previous week and represents an all-time weekly high total of cases. Erie County’s COVID-19 case rate of 580 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for the week ending December 4 is an increase from the previous week’s case rate of 448. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a case rate threshold of 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for a community to be considered to have “high transmission.”

    29{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of new COVID-19 cases last week were among city of Buffalo residents. For reference, city of Buffalo residents make up 29{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all Erie County residents. This past week the ZIP codes with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 persons were: 14203 (Buffalo, 20 cases), 14055 (East Concord, 15 cases), 14057 (Eden, 75 cases), 14218 (Lackawanna, 173 cases) and 14086 (Lancaster, 278 cases). Five ZIP codes had a case rate of more than 800 new cases per 100,000 residents over seven days. Of note: 14203 and 14055 ZIP codes have smaller populations, and their case rate can be impacted significantly by case totals. Twenty-five ZIP codes have 7-day case rates of more than 600 new cases per 100,000 residents.

    Contact tracing case investigations continue to note family and household clusters of COVID-19 cases. With the holiday season approaching, ECDOH encourages people who plan to gather with friends and family to stay home and away from others if ill. Also, COVID-19 testing is a tool to make sure you know your COVID-19 status before small gatherings, especially if other guests are elderly, have chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions, are pregnant, or unvaccinated.

    About 51,000 COVID-19 test reports were received last week, an increase from the previous week’s total, and the most tests reported in one week since April 2021. Weekly test reports have remained stable over the past four weeks. ECDOH and health care providers within Erie County still have substantial diagnostic testing capacity. People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should strongly consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. The New York State Department of Health maintains a list of testing locations. ECDOH created a list of community COVID-19 testing resources for parents and caregivers. Free COVID-19 NAAT tests are available through ECDOH by calling 716-858-2929 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required for COVID-19 testing through ECDOH. Wait times for ECDOH appointment telephone line are longest in the morning. Callers may choose to call after 10 a.m. if they want to avoid a wait.

    The weekly positivity rate was 10.8{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}, up from 9.9{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for the week ending November 27. This is the highest weekly positivity percentage since the earliest stages of the pandemic in May 2020, when testing capacity was low. The 30-39-year-old age group had the highest number of COVID-19 cases last week; this age group also had the highest 7-day case rate per 100,000 persons, at 899. The age groups with the highest positivity rates children under 14 years old: 12{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 0-4-year-olds; 13.2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 5-10-year-olds; 16.4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 11-13-year-olds; and, 13.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 14-17-year-olds. These higher positivity rates may reflect lower relative numbers of tests in these age groups, and a higher likelihood that symptomatic children and adolescents will seek a COVID-19 test for return to school purposes.

    For children under age 18 years, case totals increased from the previous week by about 25{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}, to 1,345 cases.

    Cases among children under 18 years comprised 25{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all cases reported for last week.

    The school team in the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology is managing a large volume of cases among k-12 students and school staff. Data for the week ending November 27 are incomplete* because official test reports are pending. The Thanksgiving holiday may have contributed to a lower number of tests and positive test results for the week ending November 27. These weekly totals remain higher than at any other point in this academic year or the previous academic year.

     

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING DECEMBER 4, 2021

     

    With 376 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Erie County hospitals on December 5, 2021, the number of patients admitted to Erie County hospitals with COVID-19 has ranged from a low of 284 hospitalizations to a high of 376 hospitalizations over the past two weeks [See chart at end of release]. 257 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (68{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) were not fully vaccinated. Among those patients, 51 (74{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 69 patients admitted to the ICU were not fully vaccinated; and, 36 (72{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 50 patients with an airway assist were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines work to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) publishes statewide data for COVID-19 cases over time by vaccination status, and daily hospital admissions over time by vaccination status.              

    ECDOH is reporting COVID-19 mortality data. ECDOH received reports of 52 COVID-19 associated deaths in the past seven days; these reports were from October, November and December. Total COVID-19-related deaths from March 2020 to December 2, 2021 now stand at 2,203, with 927 reported in 2021. CDC publishes national rates of COVID-19 related cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status.         

    With data compiled by the ECDOH epidemiology office through December 6, 2021, 23.9{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of 5-11-year-olds in Erie County have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Additional data, including vaccination estimates by ZIP code, are posted to the ECDOH web site. NYSDOH also updates vaccination data by demographics, by county and by ZIP code.                                                   

    ECDOH has an active schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, listed at www.erie.gov/vax. Additional clinics have been added throughout the county through December 30. Clinics for 5-11-year-olds are listed at www.erie.gov/vax. ECDOH will also vaccinate any eligible Erie County resident at their home. Call (716) 858-2929 for the “Vax Visit” program.

    ECDOH encourages Erie County residents who are not fully vaccinated to begin their COVID-19 vaccine series. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for youth and families attending school or child care.

    ECDOH vaccine clinics will provide a COVID-19 booster dose to anyone age 18 and older as long as enough time has elapsed from their initial series completion (6 months for Pfizer and Moderna; 2 months for J&J). ECDOH encourages people to review the recommended booster eligibility criteria, evaluate their risk factors and talk to their own physician with questions. NYSDOH has further information about booster doses.

     

    Chart: Erie County Hospitalization Data, last two weeks (November 22, 2021-December 5, 2021); data for Nov. 25, 2021 not available due to Thanksgiving holiday.

    Data Sources: New York State Department of Health and Erie County hospitals

     

    #

    ECDOH, COVID-19 vaccine info & clinic schedule: http://www.erie.gov/vax

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Information Line: (716) 858-2929 – foreign language interpretation available

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Weekly Data Updates: https://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=covid-19-media-data

    New York State Department of Health, COVID-19 Boosters: http://ny.gov/boosters

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  • ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 27, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 27, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 27, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing an update on COVID-19 data. For the week ending November 27, 2021, ECDOH received reports for 4,271 new COVID-19 cases among Erie County residents, a 2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} decrease from the previous week. This decline may be attributable to fewer tests occurring in the latter half of that week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. This also represents a 145{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} increase in COVID-19 cases in the past six reporting weeks, and a 59{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} increase in the past four reporting weeks. Erie County’s COVID-19 case rate of 448 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for the week ending November 27 is slight decrease from the previous week’s case rate of 456. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a case rate threshold of 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for a community to be considered to have “high transmission.”

    30{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of new COVID-19 cases last week were among city of Buffalo residents. For reference, city of Buffalo residents make up 29{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all Erie County residents. This past week the ZIP codes with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 persons were: 14025 (Boston, 32 cases), 14086 (Lancaster, 225 cases), 14141 (Springville, 52 cases), 14004 (Alden, 77 cases) and 14057 (Eden, 52 cases). 17 ZIP codes had a case rate of more than 500 new cases per 100,000 residents over seven days.

    Contact tracing case investigations continue to note family and household clusters of COVID-19 cases. With the holiday season approaching, ECDOH encourages people who plan to gather with friends and family to stay home and away from others if ill. Also, COVID-19 testing is a tool to make sure you know your COVID-19 status before small gatherings, especially if other guests are elderly, have chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions, are pregnant, or unvaccinated.

    About 43,200 COVID-19 test reports were received last week, a small decrease from the previous week’s total. Weekly test reports have remained very stable over the past four weeks. ECDOH and health care providers within Erie County still have substantial diagnostic testing capacity. People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should strongly consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. The New York State Department of Health maintains a list of testing locations. ECDOH created a list of community COVID-19 testing resources for parents and caregivers. Free COVID-19 NAAT tests are available through ECDOH by calling 716-858-2929 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required for COVID-19 testing through ECDOH. Wait times for ECDOH appointment telephone line are longest in the morning. Callers may choose to call after 10 a.m. if they want to avoid a wait.

    The weekly positivity rate was 9.9{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}, up from 9.4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for the week ending November 20. This is the highest weekly positivity percentage since the earliest stages of the pandemic in May 2020. The 30-39-year-old age group had the highest number of COVID-19 cases last week, which represents a seven-day case rate of 693 per 100,000 persons in that age group. The age groups with the highest positivity rates were school-aged children: 12.6{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 5-10-year-olds; 14.8{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 11-13-year-olds; and, 13.7{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 14-17-year-olds. These higher positivity rates may reflect lower relative numbers of tests in these age groups, and a higher likelihood that symptomatic children and adolescents will seek a COVID-19 test for return to school purposes. Every age group, except ages 80 and older, had a positivity rate of more than 8{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}.

    For children under age 18 years, case totals decreased by 53 COVID-19 cases last week from the previous week, to 1,072 COVID-19 cases. Cases among children under 18 years comprised 25{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all cases reported for last week, an increase from October 2021 when that proportion was ~22-23{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}.

     

    The school team in the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology is managing a large volume of cases among k-12 students and school staff. Data for the week ending November 13 and November 20 are incomplete* because official test reports are pending. These weekly totals remain higher than at any other point in this academic year or the previous academic year.

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 27, 2021

    ECDOH announced that it was piloting a “Test to Stay” program with Grand Island Central School District starting December 6. Broadly, in a school using TTS, k-12 students who are not fully vaccinated and close contacts of a COVID-19 case from a school exposure would have a rapid COVID-19 test before each school day as part of a modified quarantine. Students with a household exposure would not be eligible, nor would school staff. The student would attend school that day if their test result was negative. A positive test result would mean the student is excluded from school and placed in isolation at home. ECDOH will evaluate pilot program outcomes and decide on next steps.

    With 334 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Erie County hospitals on November 28, 2021, the number of patients admitted to Erie County hospitals with COVID-19 has ranged from a low of 203 hospitalizations to a high of 334 hospitalizations over the past two weeks [See chart at end of release]. 211 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 (63{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) were not fully vaccinated. Among those patients, 42 (69{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 61 patients admitted to the ICU were not fully vaccinated; and, 32 (70{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 46 patients with an airway assist were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines work to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) publishes statewide data for COVID-19 cases over time by vaccination status, and daily hospital admissions over time by vaccination status.                                                           

    ECDOH is reporting COVID-19 mortality data. ECDOH received reports of 8 COVID-19 associated deaths in the past seven days. Total COVID-19-related deaths from March 2020 to November 25, 2021 now stand at 2,151, with 875 reported in 2021. CDC publishes national rates of COVID-19 related cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status.                        

    With data compiled by the ECDOH epidemiology office through November 29, 2021, 21{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of 5-11-year-olds in Erie County have at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. Additional data, including vaccination estimates by ZIP code, are posted to the ECDOH web site. NYSDOH also updates vaccination data by demographics, by county and by ZIP code.         

    ECDOH has an active schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, listed at www.erie.gov/vax. Clinics for 5-11-year-olds are listed at www.erie.gov/vax. ECDOH will also vaccinate any eligible Erie County resident at their home. Call (716) 858-2929 for the “Vax Visit” program.

    ECDOH encourages Erie County residents who are not fully vaccinated to begin their COVID-19 vaccine series. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for youth and families attending school or child care.

    ECDOH vaccine clinics will provide a COVID-19 booster dose to anyone age 18 and older as long as enough time has elapsed from their initial series completion (6 months for Pfizer and Moderna; 2 months for J&J). ECDOH encourages people to review the recommended booster eligibility criteria, evaluate their risk factors and talk to their own physician with questions. NYSDOH has further information about booster doses.

    Chart: Erie County Hospitalization Data, last two weeks (November 15, 2021-November 28, 2021); data for Nov. 25, 2021 not available due to Thanksgiving holiday.
    Data Sources: New York State Department of Health and Erie County hospitals

     

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    ECDOH, COVID-19 vaccine info & clinic schedule: http://www.erie.gov/vax

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Information Line: (716) 858-2929 – foreign language interpretation available

    ECDOH, COVID-19 Weekly Data Updates: https://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=covid-19-media-data

    New York State Department of Health, COVID-19 Boosters: http://ny.gov/boosters

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  • ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6, 2021

    ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing an update on COVID-19 data. For the week ending November 6, 2021, ECDOH received reports for 2,690 new COVID-19 cases among Erie County residents, a 22{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} increase from the previous week. Over the past two weeks, COVID-19 cases have increased 54{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}. Erie County’s COVID-19 case rate of 282 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for the week ending November 6 is an increase from the previous week’s case rate of 232. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a case rate threshold of 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for a community to be considered to have “high transmission.”

    29.5{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of new COVID-19 cases last week were among city of Buffalo residents. For reference, city of Buffalo residents make up 29{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of all Erie County residents. This past week the ZIP codes with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 persons were: 14032 (Clarence Center, 39 cases), 14004 (Akron, 44 cases), 14031 (Clarence, 42 cases), 14043 (Depew, 103 cases) and 14068 (Amherst/Getzville, 27 cases).

    About 46,000 COVID-19 test reports were received last week, on par with the previous week’s total. ECDOH and health care providers within Erie County still have substantial diagnostic testing capacity. People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should strongly consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. The New York State Department of Health maintains a list of testing locations. ECDOH created a list of community COVID-19 testing resources for parents and caregivers. Free COVID-19 NAAT tests are available through ECDOH by calling 716-858-2929 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required for COVID-19 testing through ECDOH. Wait times for ECDOH appointment telephone line are longest in the morning. Callers may choose to call after 10 a.m. if they want to avoid a wait.

    Last week, the age group with the highest number of COVID-19 cases were the 30-39-year-old age group. The age groups with the highest positivity rates were school-aged: 7.1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 5-10-year-olds; 11{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 11-13-year-olds; and, 8.4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} for 14-17-year-olds. For children under age 18 years, case totals increased by about 180 COVID-19 cases last week from the previous week, to 690 COVID-19 cases. These higher positivity rates may reflect lower relative numbers of tests in these age groups, and a higher likelihood that symptomatic children and adolescents will seek a COVID-19 test for return to school purposes.

    The school team in the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology is managing a steady number of cases among k-12 students and school staff. Data for weeks ending October 30 and November 6 are incomplete* because official test reports are pending. And with COVID-19 cases pending for the week ending October 30, student and school staff cases increased 32{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}. This correlates to the increase seen in the age group of 18 years and younger.

    ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6, 2021

    With 168 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Erie County hospitals on November 7, 2021, the number of patients admitted to Erie County hospitals with COVID-19 has ranged from a low of 112 hospitalizations to a high of 168 hospitalizations over the past two weeks [See chart at end of release]. 112 COVID-19 patients (67{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) were not fully vaccinated; 24 (69{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 35 ICU patients were not fully vaccinated; and, 14 (67{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c}) of 21 patients with an airway assist were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines work to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) publishes statewide data for COVID-19 cases over time by vaccination status, and daily hospital admissions over time by vaccination status.

    ECDOH is reporting COVID-19 mortality data. ECDOH received reports of 8 COVID-19 associated deaths in the past seven days. Total COVID-19-related deaths from March 2020 to November 4, 2021 now stand at 2,105, with 829 reported in 2021. CDC publishes national rates of COVID-19 related cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status.                        

    With data compiled by the ECDOH epidemiology office through November 8, 2021 and based on 2020 U.S. Census population estimates, 74.2{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Erie County residents ages 18 years and older received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 70.3{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of Erie County residents ages 18 years and older completed a vaccine series. For the 16-17-year-old age group, 60.4{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. With data available since last week, 2.1{fe463f59fb70c5c01486843be1d66c13e664ed3ae921464fa884afebcc0ffe6c} of 5-11-year-olds in Erie County have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. 

    Additional data, including vaccination estimates by ZIP code, are posted to the ECDOH web site. NYSDOH also updates vaccination data by demographics, by county and by ZIP code.                                                    

    ECDOH has an active schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, listed at www.erie.gov/vax. Clinics for 5-11-year-olds are listed at www.erie.gov/vax. ECDOH will also vaccinate any eligible Erie County resident at their home. Call (716) 858-2929 for the “Vax Visit” program. ECDOH encourages Erie County residents who are not fully vaccinated to begin their COVID-19 vaccine series. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for youth and families attending school or child care. Third COVID-19 Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses for people with moderately or severely immunocompromising conditions are available at any Erie County COVID-19 vaccine clinic. ECDOH also offers Pfizer booster vaccine doses for eligible individuals at all clinics that offer Pfizer vaccine. NYSDOH has further information about Pfizer booster doses.

    Chart: Erie County Hospitalization Data, last two weeks (October 25-November 7, 2021)
    Data for November 6, 2021 are not available.

    Data Sources: New York State Department of Health and Erie County hospital

     

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