COVID-19

Press release:

Congressman Chris Jacobs (NY-27) is releasing the following statement after joining Assemblyman DiPietro to call for New York schools to reopen for 100-percent in-person learning five days a week. 

“The impact school closures have had on our children is devastating," Jacobs said. "A new report shows an estimated 3,000,000 children have gone missing from classes. Grades and test scores are slipping, and mental health problems are rising drastically.

"Our teachers have worked hard, but they cannot overcome the inherent constraints of virtual learning, especially in rural areas with limited internet access. Kids need in-person education, social interaction, and full access to school resources and support systems.”

“The Biden administration has flip-flopped on this issue, and just last week, Democrats refused to help us advance policies that would fund an expedited return to school for our students. Republicans introduced over half a dozen amendments to the COVID relief package to open schools. Democrats rejected them unanimously.

"In addition, we offered a motion to redirect $140 million away from subway construction to needed mental health services for at-risk students; once again, Democrats rejected this effort. We need to get politics out of the classroom and get kids back in. We know how to do this safely; let’s follow the science and open our schools.”

We asked the State Health Department for a statement on why the GCC vaccination clinic was not open to just Genesee County residents and here is the response:

• As with other non-FEMA, state-run mass vaccination sites, these are open to all eligible New Yorkers.
• As the press release said, these are “short-term mass vaccination sites” – as more vaccine doses become available, we will review how these sites functioned to determine future allocations at these sites or at other short-term sites we may establish across the state.

Previously: 

• Hawley says 'statewide free-for-all' to get COVID-19 vaccines is leaving rural areas behind
• Nearly half of the 3,500 COVID-19 vaccine doses at first GCC clinic booked by Erie County residents

Photos by Jim Burns

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 16 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. 
• Twelve of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Four of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Orleans County received four new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 20s, 30s and 60s.
• Fourteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

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Travel Guidance Update:  According to the Governor’s announcement today, those who travel domestically will no longer be required to quarantine or test-out within 90 days of full vaccination. International Travelers will continue to follow CDC quarantine guidance.  Check for the updated guidance here.

Gathering Size: Beginning March 22 for residential gatherings 10 people indoors, 25 people outdoors. For social gatherings up to 100 people indoors, 200 people outdoors. Check for the updated guidance here.

Beginning April 2: Event, Arts and Entertainment Venues -- reopening at 33-percent capacity, up to 100 people indoors, 200 people outdoors. With attendee testing, capacity increases to 150 people indoors, 500 people outdoors. Rapid test is valid for 6 hours; PCR test is valid for 72 hours. Social distancing and face coverings are required by all attendees. Check for the updated guidance here. 

Wedding / In-person Catered Events: Starting March 15, the Governor is allowing weddings at up to 50 percent of the venue capacity or up to 150 people (whichever is smaller) at weddings/catered events. See section D (In-person and Catered Events) of the Interim Guidance for Food Services During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency updated Feb. 24. There are strict guidelines (pdf) to be followed and responsible parties are to notify the local health department if they plan to host in-person and catered events above the State’s maximum social gathering limit, which is 50 people as of Feb. 24. Those who ignore the guidance can be fined and/or lose their license to operate.

There continues to be a maximum of 10 people indoors and outdoors for residential gatherings.  

Social distancing, wearing cloth masks/face coverings over the mouth and nose, and handwashing, cleaning and disinfection protocol requirements are to be continued to limit the spread of COVID-19.  

Pharmacies Participating in the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination | CDC: The Federal Retail Pharmacy Program for COVID-19 Vaccination is a collaboration between the federal government, states and territories, and 21 national pharmacy partners and independent pharmacy networks to increase access to COVID-19 vaccination across the United States. To learn more use this following link.

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley is raising concerns over the distribution of vaccines at the newly opened Genesee Community College COVID-19 vaccination site.

Of the 3,500 vaccines allotted to the site, less than 25 percent of those vaccines were given to nearby residents living in Genesee, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. Vaccination rates in these three counties collectively have lagged behind the 16.2 (percent) state average, as combined their vaccination rate is 13.8 percent.

“This statewide free-for-all for vaccines is leaving rural New Yorkers behind, and is causing people from all throughout the state to come to our community to use up the small allocation of vaccines our community desperately needs,” Hawley said.

“We need to be smarter about ensuring vaccines given to a community stay in that community, rather than allowing a statewide scramble for shots which keeps doses out of the arms of those who need them most in rural areas.”

NYS Mass Vaccination Clinic Targeting the Genesee-Orleans-Wyoming County Region Update:

The New York State-run temporary mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic scheduled for Friday through Tuesday at Genesee Community College (GCC) in Batavia opened for appointments on Thursday, March 4^th at 7:59 a.m. and within 90 minutes all were accounted for. 

We encourage those who are still seeking vaccination to periodically check the state vaccine site as some may cancel their appointments. You can check for appointment availability here or call 1-833-697-4829.

“After careful analysis of the registrations, what we expected to happen once we were told the clinic was open to anyone eligible, regardless of residency, did happen…The GOW region will be receiving less than 25 percent of the allotted 3,500 doses of Johnson & Johnson vaccine,” said Paul Pettit, Public Health director for the Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.

“For those in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming (GOW) region who were able to register for this weekend’s state-run temporary mass clinic we understand how challenging it was. For those who live in our GOW region and were shut out of this clinic, we will continue to advocate for vaccine for our residents.”

Here is the breakdown by county of residence for those who will be receiving the 3,500 doses of COVID-19 vaccine at GCC over the next five days:

• Erie County -- 1,666 spots or 47.6 percent;
• Genesee County -- 596 spots or 17.03 percent;
• Niagara County -- 446 spots or 12.74 percent;
• Monroe County -- 326 spots or 9.31 percent;
• Orleans County -- 169 spots or 4.83 percent;
• Wyoming County -- 99 spots or 2.38 percent;
• Livingston County -- 73 spots or 2.09 percent;
• Ontario County -- 45 spots or 1.29 percent; and
• 15 other counties and out-of-state residents each had less than 1 percent.

“The purpose of our request was to help increase our vaccination rate, and provide for our county residents who have been shorted throughout this pandemic," Pettit said. "This clinic assuredly did not significantly impact our rates.

"With only 864 of the 3,500 doses of vaccine remaining in our three counties, we are still well below the current statewide vaccination rate. We will continue to seek additional allocations to bring parity for the counties’ vaccination rates.”

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley wrote a letter Thursday to state Health Commissioner Howard Zucker requesting that he and the Cuomo Administration consider changing health guidelines to allow a 3-foot distance between students, as opposed to the current 6-foot standard. This would allow students to return to classrooms full time and end remote learning.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has acknowledged that many nations have been able to reopen schools with a 3-foot standard in place, without increasing the spread of COVID-19 in the community.

Hawley believes that remote learning is in many ways harmful to the development of young students, as they are deprived of the opportunity to socialize with their peers and develop critical social skills. Hawley also raises the point that for many students, home is not an environment conducive to learning, and many students who face adverse circumstances at home rely on school as a place they know they can be kept safe and fed a nutritious meal.

“The safety of our children will always be our foremost priority, but it has become clear that remote learning is taking a toll on their development in a very concerning way,” Hawley said. “We have evidence to show that the 3-foot standard can be implemented safely, and should work quickly to get our kids back in schools full time to minimize the negative consequences remote learning will have on our children and help them become the best young citizens they can be.”

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 16 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. 
• Twelve of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Four of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Orleans County received five new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, and 50s.
• Three of the new positives were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Two of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Press release:

The state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) today announced that all New Yorkers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will receive the maximum allowable level of food benefits for March.

Roughly half of all households participating in SNAP will receive the supplemental allotment later this month, which will result in an infusion of roughly $100 million into the state’s economy.

"Supplemental SNAP benefits have provided crucial support for families and individuals around New York State as they struggle through the global pandemic," said Mike Hein, commissioner of OTDA, which administers SNAP in New York State.

"This infusion of federal dollars will help New Yorkers avoid food insecurity and bring welcome business to local retailers as our state embarks on the road to economic recovery."

Additionally, all SNAP recipients will continue to receive a 15-percent increase to benefits for March, which will be reflected in their normal monthly allotment. With the 15-percent increase included, the maximum benefit level for an individual is $234 and $782 for a family of four.

Federal legislation adopted in December provides for this increase to continue each month through June.

The emergency assistance supplement is provided to those SNAP households that do not ordinarily receive the maximum allowable benefit per month. The additional food benefits will be distributed starting in the second week of March and continue through the end of the month. 

As with the prior months, the payments will be delivered directly to recipients’ existing Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) account and can be accessed with their existing EBT card. Like regular SNAP benefits, the supplemental benefits can be used to purchase food at authorized retail food stores. Any unused SNAP benefits will be automatically carried over to the following month.

Under the direction of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo last spring, OTDA submitted a plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture to provide emergency supplemental payments to any SNAP household getting less than the maximum monthly benefit. Since that time, more than $1.2 billion in additional benefits have been distributed, bringing much needed federal dollars to local retailers throughout the state.

Struggling New Yorkers continue to rely heavily on SNAP as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. As of December 2020, there were more than 2.7 million SNAP recipients throughout the state, a 6.7-percent increase from the same month in 2019.

A recent federal study quantifying the impact of SNAP on the U.S. economy found that every dollar invested in food benefits can generate up to $1.54 in economic activity. The study also found that an additional $1 billion invested in new SNAP benefits could support roughly 13,560 jobs nationwide.

For more information on the emergency supplemental SNAP benefits, including answers to frequently asked questions, visit otda.ny.gov/SNAP-COVID-19. New Yorkers can check their eligibility for SNAP and apply online by visiting mybenefits.ny.gov.

Press release:

The New York State-run temporary mass COVID-19 vaccination clinic was opened for appointments this morning at 7:59 a.m. By 9:20 there were no appointments available, however that has been fluctuating. We encourage those who are seeking vaccination to periodically check the site as some may cancel their appointments or the system catches up.

“We realize this may be disappointing and frustrating for our local county residents as it is to us," said Paul Pettit, director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments. "We will continue to advocate for increased vaccine allocations moving forward.” 

“Every dose of vaccine that comes to our counties are administered within the week of receipt. We will continue to call on the state to increase allocations to rural counties as our vaccination rates continue to lag in comparison to surrounding counties.”

As a reminder, these clinics are for those in priority groups 1A and 1B, and those 65 and older, or under 65 but at least 18 with co-morbidities.

You can check for appointment availability at https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or call 1-833-697-4829.

UPDATE: All vaccination appointments for clinic at GCC booked in less than 90 minutes

In what is turning out to be a good news, not-so-good news situation for citizens of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties, Genesee Community College officially has been designated as a COVID-19 mass vaccination site, beginning this Friday, but the five-day clinic will be open to those who reside outside those counties.

In reaction to this morning’s announcement, Genesee County Manager Matt Landers is urging Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming residents to act fast by logging on to this website -- New York Covid-19 Vaccine (ny.gov).

“It was already going to be competitive because we know the demand is there for our three counties,” Landers said. “It was already going to go fast. Now, it will go even faster.”

Landers said local government leaders are “disappointed” in the decision in that they were led to believe the clinic at GCC would be only for the tri-county residents. 

“I’m 100-percent saddened and want to do all I can to make sure our folks get access," he stated. "We definitely expected this to be restricted to only Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming residents. We were informed that it would be open to anyone at 9:30 on Tuesday night (after officials had commented for the press release below)."

On Feb. 22, legislative leaders and public health directors in the local tri-county area sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo urgently requesting the designation of a regional mass vaccination clinic at the GCC campus to provide the vaccine exclusively to residents of the rural counties.

The letter, in part, read that “Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties have consistently been left out of the COVID-19 response with delays in testing supplies and now with very limited vaccine allocations. All three counties are medically underserved and having a regional clinic with less than a half-hour commute would benefit these communities."

Landers said the reason for getting a clinic at GCC is because the vaccination rates in the rural counties are lower.

“That was the whole point of this," he said. "This is what gave us some hope. This is what the letter was asking for. It’s unfortunate that at the last second that it’s going to be open to everyone because that isn’t going to directly improve the numbers when folks right on the border of Erie and Monroe can flood into our zone.”

Landers said the plan is to distribute 500 doses on Friday, 1,000 doses on both Saturday and Sunday, and 500 doses on both Monday and Tuesday.

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Here is the press release issued by New York State this morning:

BATAVIA, NY – Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Department of Health have agreed to host a temporary regional mass vaccination clinic at Genesee Community College (GCC) main campus center (1 College Road, Batavia) to provide the COVID-19 vaccine to rural counties.

The announcement comes after the legislative leaders and public health directors of Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming Counties sent a letter last week to the Governor urgently requesting the designation of such a clinic to serve rural populations in the region. 

“We are pleased to see this allocation for the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County area,” stated Lynne Johnson, chairperson of the Orleans County Legislature. “Our three counties have been underserved throughout this pandemic, especially with the lower vaccine allocations, which in turn produces lower vaccination rates.”

This state-run clinic, expecting to vaccinate 3,500, is targeted to Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County residents who are in the state eligible groupings. The state has confirmed, as of 03/02/21, the vaccine will be the Johnson & Johnson (Janssen) one-dose vaccine. The clinic is located at the GCC Athletic Center where signs will guide those with appointments to the entrance. The clinic will be held starting:

• Friday, March 5^th from noon to 4 p.m.
• Saturday and Sunday (March 6^th and 7^th) from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
• Monday and Tuesday (March 8^th and 9^th) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Appointments must be made via the New York State "Am-I-Eligible" webpage https://am-i-eligible.covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/ or by calling the New York State COVID-19 Vaccination Hotline at 1-833-697-4829 only. 

“We are pleased to be a part of this mass vaccination clinic,” stated Rebecca Ryan, chairwoman of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors. “This will help put a dent in our priority groups.”

“To say this COVID vaccination site is necessary is an understatement, as I speak with constituents daily who are told they have to travel hours in some cases just to get their vaccine,” said New York State Assemblyman Steve Hawley.

“I am hopeful we will see progress made toward opening this site for the convenience of all who wish to receive the vaccination in the Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming County communities. We need to do all we can to stop the spread of COVID-19 throughout New York State.”

"I am very happy that GCC will be serving as a vaccination site for Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties," said New York State Senator Edward Rath. "In the joint legislative health hearing this past Thursday, I specifically requested Commissioner Zucker establish a vaccination site at GCC.

"I am pleased that this all is happening very quickly, and we can work to get residents in our rural counties vaccinated. Thank you to our local leaders for their leadership on the issue."

“We hope this is just the beginning of our region getting an equitable share of the vaccine,” stated Rochelle Stein, chairperson of the Genesee County Legislature. “In order to continue to provide vaccine to those in rural counties, we encourage the state to continue to provide these limited mass vaccination clinics to assist our counties and get the vaccine in the arms of our residents who choose to get it.”

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 21 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, and 50s. 
• Thirteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Fourteen of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.

Orleans County received seven new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 50s and 60s.
• Two of the new positives were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• One of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 15 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. 
• Twenty-six of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Three of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Three of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.

Orleans County received four new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 40s and 50s.
• Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Zero of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Additional doses of both the Moderna and Pfizer vaccine have been coming into Genesee County this week -- a welcome sign of better days ahead, according to the Genesee/Orleans public health director.

“After our allocation had been flat for four weeks, the county Department of Health has received 885 doses of the vaccine – 300 of the Moderna and 585 of the Pfizer,” Paul Pettit said this afternoon via Zoom during the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

Pettit also mentioned that several “community partners” have received vaccines, with United Memorial Medical Center getting 200 doses and Tops Market in Batavia, Tops Market in Le Roy and Oakfield Family Pharmacy receiving 100 doses each.

He reported that Genesee Community College will be the site of two local vaccination clinics this week – from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday for first dose only and from 9 to 11 a.m. Friday for second dose only.

This is not the mass vaccination clinic at GCC that leaders in Genesee, Orleans and Wyoming counties have been vigorously asking for, but good news may be around the corner, Pettit said.

“We’re still working on the details of a potential mass vaccination location,” he said. “We expect more details tomorrow and will send out a press release as soon as possible.” 

He said 3,500 doses would be available if and when New York State officially approves the college as a regional vaccination clinic.

In related COVID-19 developments, Pettit said the state’s guidance on gatherings is expected to change on March 15, increasing the number to 150 people or 50 percent of capacity, and he said he anticipates the county receiving the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine in a couple weeks.

He also urged state officials to update their guidance concerning people who are fully vaccinated.

“They already recognize the exposure aspect of it (that they don’t have to quarantine), but now they need to do the same when it comes to travel,” Pettit said.

Legislatively, the Human Services Committee approved two resolutions submitted by Pettit that reflect funding connected to the county’s effort to test for the virus and vaccinate against it:

• An agreement with the New York State Department of Health for the acceptance of the Immunization Action Plan contract for the period April 1 through March 31 in the amount of $25,651.20.

• An amendment to the county budget to reflect increases in overtime, Social Security, Medicare and Specialized Supplies totaling $13,566, with these costs offset by federal revenue.

Press release:

• Genesee County received 30 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and 60s. 
  • Forty-three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
  • Nine of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • Six of the new positive individuals are inmates at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center.
  • We retracted three positive residents of The New York State Veterans' Home at Batavia that were determined to be duplicates. 

• Orleans County received eight new positive cases of COVID-19.  
  • The positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
    • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
    • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 30s, 40s, 60s, and 80s.
  • Three of the new positive individuals were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
  • Twenty-five of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • One of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

From the county health department:

There are still several appointments available for anyone who needs a free rapid COVID-19 test. The clinic is scheduled for Tuesday, March 2^nd from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Genesee County Emergency Management / Fire Training Center at 7690 State Street Road, Batavia.

There are no residency requirements for the testing clinic.

For more information and the registration link please use this following link.

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said he's been receiving numerous phone calls and text messages this morning after reports in the media surfaced that Genesee Community College will be designated as a COVID-19 mass vaccination site beginning March 5.

More importantly, he said that governmental leaders in the area are still working on that possibility, but nothing is official.

"It's still preliminary; we're still talking. There really isn't anything that we can release," Landers said. "We're hoping that we will be able to provide a press release -- maybe on Tuesday. At this point, we don't have any details that we can officially release."

Stories on websites of a local newspaper and a Buffalo television website indicating that GCC will become a mass vaccination clinic location came out of the Finger Lakes Region "control room" meeting with the governor's office on Friday. 

WGRZ-TV reported, according to a spokesperson, that the goal of the weeklong clinic is to give 500 doses per day for the seven days, and that employees of the Genesee. Wyoming and Orleans health departments and volunteers will handle the vaccinations.

Landers said he thinks "somebody missed a step" by stating that things have been finalized.

"There's planning and there's a process, and at this time there really isn't anything newsworthy that we can release," he said, adding that state and local leaders have yet to walk through the site to work out the logistics of how the clinic will be set up.

Last week, legislators and public health directors in the three counties sent a letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo urging him to authorize the use of the GCC campus as a regional location to administer the vaccine.

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 18 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. 
• Eighteen of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Fourteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• We retracted one positive resident of the Batavia VA Medical Center that was determined to be a duplicate. 

Orleans County received 4 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, and 80s.
• Three of the new positive individuals were under mandatory quarantine prior to testing positive.
• Four of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• One of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Press release:

• Genesee County received 21 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Alabama, Darien, Pembroke)
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
  • The individuals are in their 20s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. 
    • Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
      • Fourteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.​

​

• Orleans County received five new positive cases of COVID-19.  
  • The positive cases reside in the:
    • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
    • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 50s and 60s.
  • Five of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
  • Zero of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
  • We are deeply saddened to report the COVID-related death of a resident of Orchard Rehabilitation & Nursing Center. We do not report any further information to protect the privacy of the individual and their family. We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of this individual during this very sad time.

Jessica Newton -- wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and nurse -- needs the community's help as she struggles to regain her health and her strength.

After being diagnosed with COVID-19 and spending six days in the hospital, she returned home only to suffer a stroke a day later. She went back in the hospital and though is again back home recovering.

"One thing she isn't is a quitter. ... Jess...is staying strong so she can come home to her husband TJ and her two sons, Maverick and Emmett," according to a note sent to The Batavian by the Newton and Johnson families.

They are holding a drive-thru chicken BBQ for her from 12 p.m. until sold out on Saturday, March 6, at St. Maximilian Kolbe Roman Catholic Parish, located at 8656 Church St. in East Pembroke.

Tickets for "Racing to Recovery" are $12 each. There will also be a walk-thru basket raffle at the church that day.

Money raised will help the Newton family offset their medical expenses and help them now that Jessica, for the time being, is unable to work.

You can buy tickets, and/or drop off monetary donations or a raffle basket at:

• Johnsons Automotive, located at 4003 W. Main Street Road, Batavia. (585) 343-6871
• or Ron & Newt's Sales and Service Inc., an automotive body shop located at 2452 Main St., East Pembroke. (585) 762-9122

Jess's friends and family say they appreciate the outpouring of love and support given to the frontline healthcare worker and her family.

The note continues: "This road the family is about to go down is unpredictable and may have bumps and turns, but one thing is for sure -- it will never be a road they travel alone."

Data Update – 

• Genesee County received 14 new positive cases of COVID-19.
  • The new positive cases reside in the:
    • Central Region (Alexander, Batavia, Bethany, Elba, Oakfield) 
    • East Region (Bergen, Byron, Le Roy, Pavilion, Stafford)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s, and 60s. 
• Twenty-three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.  
• Fourteen of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.

Orleans County received 19 new positive cases of COVID-19.  

• The positive cases reside in the:
  • West Region (Yates, Ridgeway, Shelby)
  • Central Region (Carlton, Gaines, Albion, Barre)
  • East Region (Kendall, Murray, Clarendon)
• The individuals are in their 0-19s, 20s,30s, 40s, 50s and 60s.
• Three of the previous positive individuals have recovered and have been removed from the isolation list.
• Two of the current positive individuals are hospitalized.
• Correction for the West Region, an individual was removed as they were not an Orleans County resident, the correct number of positives for Tuesday is one less (2,381)