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COVID-19

Hawley speaks out against governor's decision to reimplement mask mandate

By Press Release

Press Relase from the office of Assemblyman Steve Hawley:

“Haphazardly implementing a statewide mask mandate in the middle of the holiday season, a period many businesses rely on to make ends meet for the year, is entirely unnecessary and will only handicap our small businesses during a make-or-break time for their operations. Protecting public health is important, but decisions such as this should be left to the local health authorities that know better than anyone what’s really going on in their communities. I had hoped our new governor would take a more measured approach to keeping the pandemic at bay, but it is clear now more than ever that she will continue to rule our state from the top down, to the detriment of New York families and businesses alike.”

Assemblyman Hawley represents the 139th District, which consists of Genesee, Orleans and parts of Monroe County. For more information, please visit Assemblyman Hawley’s Official Website.

Governor enacts mask mandate to help combat COVID winter surge

By Press Release

Press release:

Governor Kathy Hochul today announced masks will be required to be worn in all indoor public places unless businesses or venues implement a vaccine requirement. This a major action to address the winter surge comes as COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations rise statewide to be in alignment with the CDC's recommendations for communities with substantial and high transmission. The State Health Commissioner issued a determination solidifying the requirement.    

This determination is based on the State's weekly seven-day case rate as well as increasing hospitalizations. The new business and venue requirements extend to both patrons and staff. This measure is effective Dec. 13, 2021 until Jan. 15, 2022, after which the State will re-evaluate based on current conditions. The new measure brings added layers of mitigation during the holidays when more time is spent indoors shopping, gathering, and visiting holiday-themed destinations.     

"As Governor, my two top priorities are to protect the health of New Yorkers and to protect the health of our economy. The temporary measures I am taking today will help accomplish this through the holiday season. We shouldn't have reached the point where we are confronted with a winter surge, especially with the vaccine at our disposal, and I share many New Yorkers' frustration that we are not past this pandemic yet," Governor Hochul said. "I want to thank the more than 80 percent of New Yorkers who have done the right thing to get fully vaccinated. If others will follow suit, these measures will no longer be necessary."   

"I have warned for weeks that additional steps could be necessary, and now we are at that point based upon three metrics: Increasing cases, reduced hospital capacity, and insufficient vaccination rates in certain areas," Governor Hochul added. 

Since Thanksgiving, the statewide seven-day average case rate has increased by 43% and hospitalizations have increased by 29%. While the percentage of New Yorkers fully vaccinated continues to increase—gaining 2% from Thanksgiving weekend to now—the uptick is not fast enough to completely curb the spread of the virus, particularly among communities with low vaccination coverage.

The State Department of Health has produced nation-leading studies, published in the CDC's MMWR and the New England Journal of Medicine, which demonstrate the COVID-19 vaccines' effectiveness - particularly in preventing severe disease. The Department continues to urge eligible New Yorkers of all ages to get fully vaccinated and boosted as soon as possible.

Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett said, "Community spread requires a community-minded solution, as the Omicron variant emerges and the overwhelmingly dominant Delta variant continues to circulate. We have the tools we need to protect against the virus - and now we must ensure we use them. There are tools each individual can use, and there are actions we can take as a government. Getting vaccinated protects you, and wearing a mask is how we will better protect each other. Both vaccination and mask-wearing are needed to slow this COVID-19 winter surge."    

A violation of any provision of this measure is subject to all civil and criminal penalties, including a maximum fine of $1,000 for each violation. Local health departments are being asked to enforce these requirements.        

Business/Venue Proof of Full-Course Vaccination Requirement    

Businesses and venues that implement a proof of vaccination requirement can accept Excelsior Pass, Excelsior Pass Plus, SMART Health Cards issued outside of New York State, or a CDC Vaccination Card. In accordance with CDC's definition of fully vaccinated, full-course vaccination is defined as 14 days past an individual's last vaccination dose in their initial vaccine series (14 days past the second shot of a two-dose Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine; 14 days past the one-shot Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine). The State also accepts WHO-approved vaccines for these purposes. Parents and guardians can retrieve and store an Excelsior Pass and/or Excelsior Pass Plus for children or minors under legal guardianship.    

Business/Venue Mask-Wearing Requirement    

Businesses and venues that implement a mask requirement must ensure all patrons two years and older wear a mask at all times while indoors.    

Continued Masking Requirements    

Unvaccinated individuals continue to be responsible for wearing masks, in accordance with federal CDC guidance. Further, the State's masking requirements continue to be in effect for pre-K to grade 12 schools, public transit, homeless shelters, correctional facilities, nursing homes, and health care settings per CDC guidelines.    

New York State and the State's Department of Health continue to strongly recommend mask-wearing in all public indoor settings as an added layer of protection, even when not required. Children 2 - 5 who remain ineligible for vaccination must wear a proper-fitting mask.

COVID-19 vaccines and booster doses are free and widely available statewide. New Yorkers can visit vaccines.gov, text their ZIP code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find nearby locations. To schedule an appointment at a state-run mass vaccination site, New Yorkers can visit the Am-I-Eligible site. New Yorkers can also contact their health care provider, county health departments, Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), rural health centers, or pharmacies.

New Yorkers can retrieve their Excelsior Pass or Excelsior Pass Plus here. Businesses and venues can download the Excelsior Pass Scanner app—free for any business nationwide and available in more than ten languages—here.      

8 lawmakers sign letter urging the governor and Department of Health to take action

By Press Release

Press Release:

The letter states, “Without question, no one cares about the health and well-being of our region’s children more than parents and local school administrators, faculty, and staff. In addition, it is undeniable that students benefit from in-person instruction and that every effort should be madeto keep kids in school. As such, we believe that we should respect the parents & school administrator’s opinions, guidance, and data regarding the viability, effectiveness, and safety of developing a “Test to Stay” program for schools.”

The letter:

Dear Governor Hochul:
We are writing to request that the New York State Department of Health work with local school districts to develop “Test to Stay” guidelines for students. It is our understanding that several districts from across the Erie- Niagara region have already contacted you as well as the Department of Health with this request, and as elected officials representing this area, we urge you to consider their request. Without question, no one cares about the health and well-being of our region’s children more than parents and local school administrators, faculty, and staff. In addition, it is undeniable that students benefit from in-person instruction and that every effort should be made to keep kids in school. As such, we believe that we should respect the parents & school administrator’s opinions, guidance, and data regarding the viability, effectiveness, and safety of developing a “Test to Stay” program for schools. According to the Erie-Niagara School Superintendents Association (ENSSA), in a regional survey of 30 districts between September 1st and October 14th of this year, approximately 2500 students have been quarantined, and fewer than 2% ever tested positive for COVID-19 during their quarantine period. Meaning nearly 2,450 healthy students missed significant learning time in the classroom because the State does not allow local districts to establish guidelines for students who have proven to be healthy, to return to school. As you recently noted, the current surge in COVID-19 cases is different, and as a society and government, we are much more knowledgeable and better equipped to confront ongoing challenges. We respectfully ask that you honor the ENSSA’s request and “require the Department of Health to: 1. Help keep healthy children in school by providing technical, financial, and other necessary support to facilitate statewide implementation of a “Test to Stay” strategy. 2. Replace open-ended COVID-19 related mandates and restrictions with data and science-based metrics for implementation and de-implementation of mitigation strategies.” While not perfect, we believe that a robust “Test to Stay” program is the best option to keep our children safe and ensure that healthy children can reenter the classroom as quickly and safely as possible. Serial testing has proven successful in other states across the nation, and we would encourage New York State to develop, adopt, and support a “Test to Stay” program for local schools.

Thank you for your consideration of this critical matter. We look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

EDWARD A. RATH III
State Senator – 61st District             

Robert G. Ortt                                           Patrick M. Gallivan
State Senator – 62nd District             State Senator – 59th District

George M. Borrello                                     Michael J. Norris
State Senator – 57th District                  State Assemblyman – 144th District

Angelo J. Morinello                                      David DiPietro
State Assemblyman – 145th District      State Assemblyman – 147th District

Joseph M. Giglio
State Assemblyman – 148th District

 

    

 

Genesee, Orleans healthcare, government officials making push to 'boost' lagging vaccination numbers

By Mike Pettinella

With the percentage of Genesee and Orleans county residents who have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine significantly less than the New York State number, local healthcare and government officials are stepping up their efforts to reach those who, for one reason or another, are among the “vaccine hesitant.”

Speaking during a media briefing via Zoom this morning, Genesee/Orleans Public Health Director Paul Pettit reiterated what he has been saying for the past year: “That vaccines are the best protection against the coronavirus … and against severe illness and death.”

Statistics provided by Pettit reveal that 61.8 percent of Genesee County residents and 59.3 percent of Orleans County residents, when looking at the total population, have received at least one dose of the Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccines. (The first two are administered in two shots; J&J is one shot).

That pales in comparison to the state as a whole, with the percentage of the total population that has received at least one shot at 79.4 and the percentage of those 18 and older at 91.8.

When looking at the completed series, Genesee County’s number falls to 55.9 percent and Orleans is at 52 percent. In the age 5-11 category, Genesee is at 10.6 percent and Orleans at 9.5 percent.

For the eight-county Finger Lakes Region, the one-dose percentage is at 70.7 percent and the completed series percentage is at 63.1 percent, Pettit reported.

“That’s why we again are trying to get our vaccination rates up as high as we can,” he said. “COVID vaccines significantly reduce the likelihood of hospitalization and death.”

Pettit placed special emphasis on the vaccine booster shots that recently became available.

“We just need to go and get that booster shot now and make sure we're protecting ourselves as best as we can,” he said, adding that both Genesee and Orleans health departments continue to offer weekly COVID-19 vaccination clinics (Wednesdays in Genesee County and Thursdays in Orleans County).

Joining Pettit on the call were Dan Ireland, president of United Memorial Medical Center; Matt Landers, Genesee County manager; Marianne Clattenburg, Genesee County legislator, and Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chair.

Acknowledging the need to improve Genesee County’s vaccination numbers, Landers – as initially reported on The Batavian – mentioned the Finger Lakes Region’s push for a “targeted rural campaign” focused on hard to reach populations such as Native American, Amish and Mennonite, hard to reach zip codes and under vaccinated zip codes.

“We’re trying to find more creative ways to attack and go after targeted media advertising towards them,” he said, adding the plan is to use direct advertising, postcards and other mailings. “Their targets are not necessarily trying to change minds of people that are absolutely set, but it's really to educate, to go after vaccine hesitancy and to go after some of the harder to reach populations potentially …”

On the hospital side, Ireland said UMMC and Rochester Regional Health’s “number one priority” is to maintain full access to healthcare in the community, noting that UMMC is open for all types of elective surgeries at this time.

He also pointed out the importance of getting vaccinated, wearing masks where appropriate and getting tested, especially prior to social or family gatherings.

He said that his family did just that before Thanksgiving and, fortunately, no one tested positive.

“So, really it’s a small step, but it makes a big difference,” he said. “And it will help us on the hospital side. Because certainly as we continue to have a fair number of unvaccinated in the community. It makes a difference when they become positive as we're seeing a higher percentage of unvaccinated patients in our hospital versus the vaccinated COVID patients.”

Statistically, Ireland said that there are more than 200 patients who have tested positive for COVID in RRH hospitals, with 11 percent of those at UMMC. Sixty-two percent in the Intensive Care Unit are COVID positive, with 80 percent of those people unvaccinated.

“Put in non-statistical terms, the unvaccinated truly are showing signs of higher acuity in the hospital,” he said, noting that 100 percent of patients on ventilators are unvaccinated.

Ireland said UMMC continues to partner across the RRH system and with other hospitals in the region to “work on any load balancing options that we can provide; in order to make sure that all patients in our region get care, regardless of where you seek that care.”

He added that 95 percent of RRH outpatient clinics are open, although he did say that wait times may be longer than normal.

Looking at specific areas of concern:

COMMUNITY SPREAD

Pettit said the number of positive cases have remained steady recently but are still too high, with 250 active cases in Genesee County and 334 active cases in Orleans County. Forty-eight of those are in the hospital (35 in Genesee and 13 in Orleans).

Over the past seven days, the positivity rate in Genesee and Orleans is at 12.5 percent and 12.2 percent, respectively.

As far as breakthrough cases are concerned (positive tests of those who are fully vaccinated), Pettit said the percentages are 30 percent in Genesee and 29 percent in Orleans – with these types of cases increasing over the past two months.

He urged those who have been vaccinated with Moderna or Pfizer at least six months ago and those who had the J&J vaccine at least two months ago to get a booster shot.

Pettit pointed out that most of the spread is from social gatherings "where there's prolonged contact indoors" and from those who think they just have a cold (due to it being cold and flu season).

"So, again, one of our messages we've said from day one is if you're symptomatic, stay home, don't go to work, don't go to school, stay home while you have the symptoms, get that test and verify," he said. "Regardless of COVID, we don't want to be spreading germs around."

COVID-19 TESTING

Pettit said that limited testing is being offered at both health departments by appointment, and that local pharmacies and urgent care centers also are providing testing.

He advised that home testing kits will become more prevalent as time goes on, and that GO Health is getting closer to accepting results of home testing.

“Ultimately, they are very accurate, if done properly. And a positive is a positive on those test kits. So, again, we'd encourage you to get those and use them if available,” he said.

Homebound individuals are asked to call their health departments (Genesee: 585-344-2550, ext. 5555; Orleans, 585-589-3278) to get on a list for a home visit.

OMICRON VARIANT

Pettit said the Omicron variant has not bee identified in Genesee or Orleans, but “that does not mean that it is not here, it just means that it has not been detected (yet).”

He said the new variant likely spreads more easily than the original COVID virus, very similar to how Delta (variant) spread a lot easier.

“The early indication is that the severity does not seem to be too bad again, but it is early and they're continuing to track that,” he offered.

CONTACT TRACING

For those in isolation or quarantine, responding to health department or New York State contract tracers is essential, Pettit said.

“I can't reiterate this enough,” he said. “We need folks to answer the phone; we need folks to engage with us during the process. Because if we don't, if we're not able to do the investigation, and we're not able to talk to you, to release you, we can't send the (release) letter.”

GUIDANCE IN SCHOOLS

Pettit said the collective goal is to keep students in school, and “this year, I think we've done a fairly good job of that.”

Per state mandate, masking continues to be required indoors at schools.

He said his department is talking with superintendents about new strategies, specifically Test to Stay and Test Out of Quarantine.

“There is a checklist and the schools have those and we are discussing how we can implement but ultimately they have to have a written plan around how they would implement these different approaches within their school system,” he said. “And one of the biggest barriers is that it has to be done equitable. We can't have this just for some kids and not for others …”

Genesee, other rural counties appeal to New York State for at-home rapid COVID-19 test kits

By Mike Pettinella

News that Monroe County has purchased 750,000 at-home rapid COVID-19 testing kits has triggered an expected response from leaders of Genesee and other rural counties in the Finger Lakes Region: Where are our test kits?

“We going to continue to beat the drum” for financial support from New York State to have access to as many test kits as needed, Genesee County Manager Matt Landers said during this afternoon’s County Legislature meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

Landers said members of the Finger Lakes Region group of administrators, public health officials and legislators are advocating for “a similar allotment” – enough test kits for distribution among their residents.

“Erie and Monroe counties got additional CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act money,” Landers said. “We have emailed the state and the response we got is that they (too) are having a hard time procuring them.”

On Tuesday, Monroe County Executive Adam Bello announced that 250,000 rapid test kits will be used for school-aged children and the other 500,000 will be given to towns, villages and the City of Rochester.

Landers said he believes that more in-home testing is “one way to lessen the spread,” adding that he is confident that residents possess the knowledge to administer the tests and the willingness to take appropriate action in the case of a positive COVID test.

On another front, Landers said that Jan. 5, 2022 is the target date for the processing of the bond resolution that will fund the new county jail on West Main Street Road. He said the county expects to issue construction bids at the end of January, award the bids in March and break ground in April.

The legislature approved the following appointments:

  • Gary Graber, Darien, Parks, Recreation & Forest Advisory Committee, 12/9/21-3/31/24.
  • Lynn VanDerBeck,. Byron, Office for the Aging Advisory Council, 1/1/22-12/31/24.
  • Dr. Javeed Mir, Batavia, 1/1/22-8/14/22; Wendy Haywood, Bergen, 1/1/22-12/31/22; Kathleen Antonelli, Batavia, 12/8/21-12/31/25; Vernon Saile, Byron, 12/8/21-12/31/25, Mental Health Community Services Board.

County health reports 236 new positive COVID-19 test over past week

By Howard B. Owens

There were 236 new positive tests for COVID-19 among Genesee County residents over the past week, along with 250 people who had been positive but have been released from mandatory isolation.

The total active positive cases among local residents is 226 as of Monday.

Of those, 35 local residents are hospitalized.

Two more people, including one under age 65, have died as a result of contracting COVID-19, bringing the death total in Genesee County to 302 since the start of the pandemic.

As for vaccination, 30,551 Genesee County residents are fully vaccinated, or just shy of 56 percent of the population.

Schumer wants at-home test kits more readily available to deal with Omicron spread

By Press Release

Press release:

With COVID’s Omicron variant spreading, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer said the key to controlling it centers around the at-home tests now for sale across the country. Schumer praised President Biden for prepping a plan to be released on January 15th that will have insurance companies reimburse for the cost of an at-home test—but, he said, while we wait, he wants a surge of rapid at-home tests sent to New York community health centers and their mobile sites, across the state.  

“While many portions of the country are waiting for the omicron variant to arrive, New York already has cases—but this doesn’t mean we should panic. It means we should be planning,” said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. 

“You see, a key to controlling Omicron is the at-home test, where you can swab your own nose, follow simple steps, determine if you have COVID, and take the right steps thereafter. Right now, these at-home tests are pretty affordable across the country, but they’re not free, but they should be. So, I am asking for the feds to send a surge of these to New York CHCs and their mobile sites where they should come at no cost. We should be arming the public with at-home tests to stay ahead of this variant into the winter,” Schumer added.   

Schumer urged for these at-home tests to be totally free, as in no fine print. He said people should be able to walk into a CHC or visit one of their mobile sites and pick up an at-home test free of charge. Schumer urged a surge of the at-home tests to New York, especially, saying that omicron is already here and that we must work now to contain its spread. Schumer said the funds to pay for these free tests have already been appropriated to HHS via the American Rescue Plan (ARP) he helped pass through Congress and the president signed into law.

Last week, the Biden administration announced its winter plan to beat back COVID. The administration will soon mandate insurers reimburse Americans for purchasing at-home tests. Three federal departments will issue the guidance for this action on Jan. 15. The guidance will stipulate that people who buy the tests will be able to seek reimbursement from their group health plan or health insurer and have it covered during the public-health emergency, according to the Wall Street Journal. The administration has authority to do this under legislation that Congress passed in March that required group health plans and issuers to cover diagnostic Covid-19 testing, the Journal reported. 

In the meantime, Schumer, today, is saying that sending a surge of these at-home tests to New York can once again utilize the CHC infrastructure that made getting shots in arms successful during the earliest days of vaccine availability. 

The Omicron variant has been detected in 11 states so far, and about 40 countries. Scientists are also still investigating the impact of the Omicron variant, how contagious it is, how easily it might spread, and more. Schumer, today, said this is exactly why a surge of at-home tests and a campaign to have people use them could make all the difference.

“We have this tool we didn’t have early on—an at-home test,” said Schumer. “It’s one of the keys to keeping this recovery going, and we ought to use them.”

According to the WHO, the most effective steps individuals can take to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus is to keep a physical distance of at least 6-feet; wear a well-fitting mask; open windows to improve ventilation; avoid poorly ventilated or crowded spaces; keep hands clean; cough or sneeze into a bent elbow or tissue, and get vaccinated. 

There are more than 70 federal community health centers (CHC) with 800 sites throughout New York, according to the Community Health Care Association of NY.

With rise in COVID cases locally, Animal Shelter open by appointment only

By Press Release

Press release:

Due to the increase in Covid cases within the county, Sheriff William A. Sheron, Jr. is requiring all business (including animal adoptions and turn ins) at the Genesee County Animal Shelter be conducted by appointment only.  This goes into effect beginning Monday, December 6.  This is a precautionary measure to prevent the risk of exposure to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) to community members, Animal Shelter employees, and volunteers.   

Genesee revises policy to require county employees to wear face coverings regardless of vaccination status

By Mike Pettinella

Genesee County Manager Matt Landers, in response to a record number of new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, has revised the masking policy for county employees.

Effective yesterday, all county employees are required to wear masks while in county buildings, regardless of their vaccination status. Previously, the requirement was that county employees had to show that they were vaccinated in order to not have to wear an approved face covering.

“We can point to three key reasons why this change has been made,” Landers said last night. “First, Genesee County set a new record for positive cases in one day yesterday (Wednesday) with 82; next we are seeing that 35 percent of the positive cases are vaccine breakthrough cases (those who previously were vaccinated) and, although not confirmed, there is suspected spread of the virus from county employees.”

Landers said he is approaching further policy changes “in steps,” adding that the next step would be to require masking of members of the public in county facilities.

However, he said there would be “no step where we would impose anything on private entities, such as businesses. That would be left up to the state.”

He said he is leaving it up to department heads when it comes to specific buildings.

“At the Office for the Aging (on Bank Street), masks are required for both staff and the public,” he said, noting a higher risk among elderly residents.

Landers did say that once people are seated and kept apart by at least six feet, they can remove their masks.

The county employs about 500 people at various locations.

Genesee County sees sharp decline in active COVID-19 cases

By Howard B. Owens

While there have been 307 new positive COVID-19 cases in Genesee County in the current reporting period, there has been a sharp decline overall in the number of current active cases since Nov. 22, when there were 397 active cases.  

As of today's report, there are 243 cases, with 30 of those people in the hospital.

The current reporting period, with 307 new cases, covers from Nov. 22 through Nov. 29, indicating recoveries over the past two days have outpaced new cases.

Between Nov. 22 and Nov. 29, there were 459 people removed from mandatory isolation due to a previous positive test.

One more person died during the week, bringing the total number of COVID-19-related deaths to 300 in Genesee County.

Rochester Regional infection specialist: Omicron variant likely in the U.S., poses a new set of challenges

By Mike Pettinella

Omicron B.1.1.529 -- a new and rapidly changing variant of the coronavirus that just this month was first identified by scientists in South Africa -- probably has found its way to the United States and should be considered as highly transmissible.

That's the opinion of Dr. Emil P. Lesho (photo at right), an Infectious Disease specialist with Rochester Regional Health, who addressed the media this morning via Zoom.

When asked about Omicron's impact in the Finger Lakes Region, Lesho said it's a bit early to tell, but "the quick answer is … it's likely in the United States."

"At last count, it was reported in 13 different countries, including Canada. So, it was first detected in South Africa … that doesn't necessarily mean that's where it originated, that's where it was detected first," he said.                                                                        

Noting that the variant has been linked to travel, he said the detection process "requires advanced whole genome sequencing (and) most hospital labs in the United States can do that technology."

"Specimens have to be collected first, then they have to be prepared, then they have to be sent to a special sequencing laboratory," he said. "So, that takes time. But as we speak, Rochester Regional is looking for this variant. We have our laboratories collecting samples and preparing them in the way I just described."

In the United States, public health officials believe that early evidence indicates an increased risk of reinfection with Omicron as compared to other variants, such as Delta. In fact, the Biden administration has placed a travel ban from South Africa and seven neighboring countries duo to this variant.

Lesho, when asked what doctors and researchers know about Omicron, said there's "a lot that we don't know."

"And, some of what myself and what anybody says today can be changed tomorrow; we're learning more and more every day."

He said Omicron has been labeled "a variant of concern," which is the highest classification of variants on the books at this time. Others are variants of interest and variants of high consequence, but as of now, no variants of high consequence have been identified.

"What we know about this Omicron -- why it's labeled a variant of concern is because of the number of changes that it has undergone, and in the rate that it had accumulated these changes; the speed at which these changes occurred," he offered. "That's what kind of surprised scientists and laboratorians."

Lesho said this one appears to be more transmissible in light of nearly 50 changes in this virus compared to preceding strains.

"It’s those number of changes or those mutations, that that are of concern. Additionally, it's where those mutations occur. So, this whole genome sequencing that I mentioned looks at the entire genetic makeup of an organism. And so that enables us to look at which parts of it have these changes," he said. "Of those 50 changes, maybe 30 or so are in the area that the vaccine uses to instruct our bodies to make the protective antibodies. So that's why it's concerning."

In any event, the doctor said that getting vaccinated -- including the booster shot at least six months after the primary series -- "still, is the best way we can protect ourselves ..."

Other points addressed by Lesho today are as follows:

VACCINATION AND VARIANTS

While vaccines provide the most protection -- apart from natural immunity from having the virus plus vaccination -- Lesho said vaccination rates globally are relatively low.

"Not many countries have been as fortunate as developed countries, such as Israel, United States ... United Kingdom," he said. "Countries in Africa have vaccination rates as low as 20 percent ... and there's potentially only 70 percent of the people in the United States that are vaccinated.

"So, what they're learning is when they talk about herd immunity -- when you get through about 70 percent of the population being immune to help the epidemic or the pandemic stop spreading, maybe we're seeing with these higher transmissible variants like Delta and this one, it may be more upwards of 80 or 85 percent, Still, the way we can prevent these new mutations and these new variants from emerging is to get as many people in the population as immune as possible."

AS WINTER APPROACHES

Lesho had a sobering message as the cold and flu season arrives and as COVID-19 cases increase: "Well, what we can expect is, unfortunately, increased fatalities."

"We are already seeing increased number of patients in the hospital and also in the ICU. And on ventilators now. So we've been seeing that unfortunate uptick for a few weeks now. So, generally, two weeks after that you have more seriousness of infections, then you start to see the fatalities. So, I think in the next couple of weeks, we'll see some fatalities."

He said that eight or nine out of 10 patients with severe risk of infections were unvaccinated.

"Now, we're seeing some breakthrough (those previously vaccinated) infections there. For the most part, for the vast majority of the breakthrough infections are not as severe as the infections in the unvaccinated. So, we can also expect more cases as people go indoors, and they gather. And then as people go to holiday gatherings."

LEVEL OF OMICRON SYMPTOMS

Lesho said Omicron symptoms are similar to previous variants.

"If you're fully vaccinated or you got an infection and then you got vaccinated, you might have very minimal symptoms and you might test positive for various reasons," he said, "So, but you could have -- it starts out typically as a loss of taste plus smell and like a fever, nausea ... COVID can present in many different ways. It can present as a gastrointestinal illness or a respiratory illness. So, the typical symptoms of the prior strains are what we expect this to present as well."

Photo courtesy of WHEC-TV.

Genesee County has no plans to follow other counties with additional COVID mandates, restrictions

By Press Release

Press release:

“While we remain committed to the health and safety of our communities, Genesee and Orleans County will not be creating or implementing any new mask or vaccine mandates at this time.  We believe new mandates will only push residents into private settings where spread will still continue but local businesses will suffer.  For almost two years, businesses across the region have taken various measures to protect their workplaces and we trust them to do the same at this time.”

“We recognize and are concerned about rising infection and hospitalization rates, which is why we continue to strongly encourage our businesses and residents to continue to follow CDC recommendations and mitigation strategies such as practicing social distancing, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated, including booster shots. It is also important to note that those who become infected and those who are symptomatic should immediately isolate.”

“Finally, the state needs to provide greater testing resources for our schools and community as a whole, both for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals.  This is important as those we can identify as Covid-19 positive can be quickly isolated to help prevent spread.  Local governments alone cannot be expected to find and procure all of the test kits needed between the school and community needs.”

With increase of COVID cases locally, health officials encourage families to gather safely

By Press Release

Press release:

With the recent increase in positive cases of COVID-19, colder weather and the upcoming holidays it is important to remember we are still in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and the beginning of flu season. 

“We are currently seeing a surge of positive COVID-19 cases across Genesee and Orleans Counties, the Finger Lakes and Western New York regions,” stated Paul Pettit, Director of Genesee and Orleans County Health Departments.  “We want families to be able to enjoy the holidays together, however we are encouraging them gather safely.”

As we come together to celebrate Thanksgiving this week and Christmas and New Year’s next month, here are some tips for a safer holiday season:

  • If you aren’t vaccinated or have not gotten a booster, now is the time.  Talk with your primary care provider to determine what is best for you or if you have questions or concerns.
  • Even if you don’t have symptoms, consider testing prior to any gathering to know your COVID-19 status so you are limiting potential spread.
  • The more people a person is in contact with, and for longer periods of time, the greater the risk of being exposed to and transmitting COVID-19.  Limit time in large groups and increase space and/or wear face masks even if you are fully vaccinated. 
  • Wash hands frequently and sanitizes shared items.
  • If you are sick, experiencing COVID-19 or flu symptoms, are in isolation or quarantine, do NOT participate in any holiday activities until you are cleared and symptom-free. 
  • If you are planning to attend a holiday/seasonal gathering and start experiencing symptoms, stay home, consider getting tested for COVID-19.  Isolate until you get your test results. 
  • Limiting social contact is challenging for many people but there are still ways to be in contact without being in their physical presence.  Consider having your ‘gatherings’ over social media platforms.  You can still connect and have fun in the safety and comfort of your own home. 
  • If you do choose to participate in various activities, wear face masks/coverings to minimize exposure indoors/outdoors when with people not in your household and when vaccination status is unknown. 

If you are seeking a booster (all adults are now eligible) or start vaccination you can visit www.GOHealthNY.org website and choose vaccination information.  GO Health has clinics at their respective health departments.  Registration is required for ALL vaccination clinics.

Orleans County vaccination clinics are scheduled for Tuesday, November 23rd at the Orleans County Health Department, 14016 Route 31 West, Albion, NY.

  • Moderna Boosters ONLY – 10:00-11:30 a.m.
  • All doses (no pediatric appointments for 5-11-year-olds) – 1:30 -3:30 p.m.

Genesee County vaccination clinics are scheduled for Wednesday, November 24th at the Genesee County Health Department, 3837 West Main Street Road, Batavia, NY.

  • Moderna Boosters ONLY – 9:30-10:30 a.m.
  • All doses (no pediatric appointments for 5-11-year-olds) – 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 noon

'Operation Shoe Drop' at BHS protests legislation that could mandate COVID-19 vaccine to attend school

By Howard B. Owens

A group of parents gathered at Batavia High School last night to drop off shoes with anti-vaccine mandate messages.

Each pair of shoes, they said, represented a child who wouldn't be able to attend school if Assembly Bill 8378 passes.

The bill, introduced by Assemblyman Jeffrey Dinowitz (District 81), would require school-aged children to get vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to attend classes.

Jo Coburn, one of the organizers of the event said whether to get a child vaccinated should be a parental choice, an informed choice, she said.

"Operation Shoe Drop is a statewide silent protest that came about because of Dinowitz's bill mandating COVID vaccine for school-aged children," Coburn said. "It is still an emergency use. It's still not fully tested, and parents should have the right to choose."

When reminded that the Pfizer vaccine is now approved by the FDA, Coburn said, "they're still collecting data." 

Which is true.  It's also true that the VAERS database, operated by the CDC as an "early warning system" about adverse events (all reporters in the database are unverified and should not be used to draw conclusions about any vaccine), collects data on dozens of vaccines, some decades old. The research on vaccines, even ones approved by the FDA, never stops.

Coburn was reminded that the state has long mandated vaccines -- Baby Boomers remember being required to get the polio vaccine -- to attend school and she said, "There were exemptions until 2019. In New York State, there were exemptions for every single vaccine. And New York State is going to be the first state to mandate it for their kids and it should be available just for the children and the parents that want it. But it should be a choice."

According to the NYS Department of Health website, the list of required vaccines to attend public school include Diphtheria, Tetanus, Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella,  Polio, and Chickenpox.  The state still allows for medical exemptions.

A8378 was introduced by Dinowitz on Oct. 20 and referred to the Assembly's health committee and has only two co-sponsors.

According to the CDC, all three COVID-19 vaccines are considered safe and effective.

Number of active COVID-19 cases near record level at 326

By Howard B. Owens

The number of active COVID-19 cases in Genesee County, 326, is nearing the hights total during the pandemic -- 343 in December 2020 -- according to Health Department reports.

Over the past few days, there have been 166 new positive COVID-19 cases reported to the county health department.  

There have been six recent deaths attributed to COVID-19 raising the countywide total over the course of the pandemic to 292.

Of the current positive cases, 22 are hospitalized.

There are 127 people previously reported positive who have completed their mandatory isolation period.

Genesee County manager: Mandated testing of county employees is coming; who is going to pay for it?

By Mike Pettinella

Vaccine mandates are one thing; testing requirements are another.

Concerning the latter, Genesee County Manager Matt Landers is advising Genesee County legislators to be prepared to make a decision on how to govern the COVID-19 testing mandate that he believes is coming to municipal employees.

“With recently, the stop-start, stop-start 100-employee mandate out there for testing purposes, I have been meaning to reach out and give an update,” Landers said during today’s legislature meeting at the Old County Courthouse.

Landers said he is operating “under the impression” that there will be a testing requirement for all unvaccinated county employees only, with the big question being who will pay for the testing – the county or the individual employees?

“We are developing procedures to gather that data in a more formal manner. We already have a good handle on that number because our own policy internally has been if you wanted to have your mask off, you had to show proof of vaccination.”

He said more “rigorous steps” are on their way, including the need to have vaccination data available for inspection.

“We’re going through that process right now with HR (Human Resources) and implementing a recommendation in the internal side. This is going to be coming before the legislature for consideration on a policy on how we want to handle this because there's a lot of questions out there,” Landers said.

The county manager said some counties are covering testing and some aren’t. He said he will ask the HR manager’s office and public health department to draft some “solid recommendations” on the implementation before getting back to the legislature.

“I can see the arguments going both ways of us providing the testing, and also us not – and there’s good arguments on both sides,” he said in his comments to lawmakers. “So, be ready for that discussion coming up in a few days.”

In other developments, the legislature passed the following resolutions:

  • Scheduling of a public hearing for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 22 at the Old County Courthouse for citizen input on legislators’ desire to replace the county’s hotel and motel occupancy tax law to include short-term residential lodging sites. The measure had been recommended for approval last week by the legislature’s Ways & Means Committee.

The principal changes reduce the current number of units being rented at a location from six to one and set the number of days at 14 or more over the course of a year.  These revisions would align properties under the auspices of booking companies such as Airbnb and VRBO with hotels and motels and make them subject to the 3 percent occupancy or bed tax.

The new law takes effect on Jan. 1, 2022 and runs through Dec. 31, 2024.

  • An agreement with the City of Batavia to apply for a grant through the Water Infrastructure Investment Act for necessary renovations and repairs at the city’s Water Treatment Plant. The Batavia City Council passed its resolution on Monday night. The WIIA Act grant provides up to 40 percent of capital project costs. The WTP projects are estimated to cost around $3.4 million.
  • Appointment of Chad Brade of Oakfield to fill an unexpired term as county coroner until Dec. 31, 2022, and Chandy Kemp to the board of directors of the Genesee County Economic Development Center.
  • Acceptance of a $176,662.14 grant from the New York State Department of Health for the Genesee County Health Department to promote and increase COVID-19 and other vaccine initiatives, and funding for COVID-19 vaccination clinic operation costs.

Health director provides update on COVID-19 vaccines for kids, school guidance, boosters, positivity rates

By Mike Pettinella

The Centers for Disease Control’s approval of a vaccine for 5-11-year-olds provides a new weapon in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic that has buffeted society for going on two years, Genesee & Orleans Public Health Director Paul Pettit said this morning.

Pettit (pictured at right), speaking to the media via Zoom, continued to spread the word about the effectiveness of the three authorized vaccines – Moderna, Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson – in helping to prevent and reducing the severity of the coronavirus.

He also touched upon this week’s CDC approval (and New York State’s acceptance) of Pfizer’s vaccine for youth in the 5 to 11 age range.

“Under emergency use authorization, it's a little bit different than the full dose Pfizer vaccine for adults,” Pettit said. “It's actually a third of the adult dose, same time period. You're going to have a dose on day one and then you'll also be given a dose 21 days later to be fully vaccinated.

“And again, it'll be two weeks after that second dose that anybody would be considered fully vaccinated. So, it's a five week period, technically, if you look at it from start to finish when you get your first dose.”

He said the one-third dose that was tested showed sufficient antibody response for kids in that age group and has been shown in the trials to be effective at preventing disease and preventing symptoms in those who may again acquire the disease after being fully vaccinated.

Pettit said the COVID-19 vaccines “have undergone the most intensive safety monitoring through the development of it in U.S. history, and vaccinating children will help prevent and protect them from getting COVID-19 and therefore reduce the risk of severe disease hospitalizations and developing long-term COVID complications.”

Children at that age can be carriers of the virus, even if they are asymptomatic, Pettit said.

“They can bring COVID back home to their loved ones, including those that may be more susceptible to severe illness, even if they are vaccinated … So, this is the next tool for us as far as moving forward.”

He said he advises parents to talk to their healthcare providers, mentioning that children – like adults – have varying medical histories.

“We're not giving medical advice here. We are talking about the vaccine and the importance and the role that it will play in protecting children,” he said. "But ultimately, every child has their unique medical history, just like we all do as adults. And we want to make sure that any parents that have any questions or concerns … to become educated, to do your research, to evaluate and look at your own individual situation with your kids and talk to your doctor.”

Pettit spoke on a variety of subjects related to COVID and the activities of the Genesee and Orleans county health departments.

GUIDANCE, RESTRICTIONS IN SCHOOLS

Weekly conference calls with school superintendents continue, Pettit said, adding that, generally speaking, schools are doing well as the health department tracks the number of cases at all districts.

“I would say on average, we're probably around 15 to 20 percent of our active cases are in school aged kids, not necessarily indicating that it's school related spread,” he said. “But these are kids that are positive. So again, that number does vary -- vary up and down.”

The state continues to require masks for everyone indoors at schools – a mandate that has been “frustrating for parents” and “controversial,” Pettit said.

“But ultimately, we have seen a significant improvement in the reduction of quarantines in students this year. And what that has allowed for is better continuity of education. Kids have been able to stay in school and continue to learn in the in-class environment, which is, you know, something that our superintendents have been very vocal about in wanting to make sure we can keep these kids in-person and keep them learning and keep that continuity.”

Pettit mentioned “test and stay” -- a program under consideration by the NYS Department of Health that would allow students testing positive for COVID to remain in school and to avoid a quarantine as long as they are tested every day.

He acknowledged many logistical and supply challenges in implementing this program.

“We are exploring this,” he said. “We're looking at our different funding streams to see if we can … put together the resources to be able to purchase the supplies to get the staffing we need to be able to carry this out.”

Responding to a question from The Batavian on whether discussions are taking place regarding the number of 5-11-year-olds receiving the vaccine and it’s effect on the masking requirement, Pettit said he has not been advised of any verification of what percentage would have to be reached.

He did, however, offer some statistics pertaining to student vaccination rates.

“In Genesee County, the 12-15 age group, we’re at 35 percent vaccinated; the 16-18 at 52.3 percent, and in Orleans County, we’re at 39.1 percent in that 12-15 bucket and 47.1 percent in the 16-18. And the 5 to 11 has just started, so I'm sure we don't have very many there yet,” he said. “But, as far as the masking, that's going to be a decision most likely that's going to be carried out at the state level, not locally.”

POSITIVITY RATES

Pettit said the positivity rates in both counties are hovering around 20 to 30 positives per day, with active cases typically around 200 to 225.

“We have noticed over the last week or two, though, there has been some regional uptick in cases,” he said. “This isn't necessarily something to be unexpected as it is getting colder out … and as we start to come indoors now, there's obviously increased exposure risk, not just the COVID, but flu and other respiratory illnesses, other viruses.”

He advised everyone to “start refreshing” some of the precautionary measures such as masking and social distancing to minimize the spread -- and to stay home if you aren't feeling well as what may be thought of as a bad cold could actually be COVID.

In Genesee County to date, there have been 7,310 positive cases, with 222 currently in isolation and 15 of those active cases in the hospital. A total of 6,459 have recovered and been removed from isolation, while, unfortunately, there have been 135 deaths, he said.

The average seven-day positivity rate in Genesee County is around 8.1 percent.

As far as vaccination rates are concerned, in Genesee County, 64.6 percent of the population has received at least one dose and 58.6 have received the completed series, he said. The highest percentage is in the 65-74 age range – 83 percent.

As far as breakthrough cases in Genesee County, Pettit said 445 of the 1,891 new cases (23.5 percent) from Aug. 1 through Nov. 1 were contracted by those who had been fully vaccinated.

BOOSTER SHOTS

Booster shots of all three vaccines are available and the ability to “mix and match” is an option, Pettit said.

“So, depending on what vaccine you may have received the first time around, if you want to try something different that has been approved and has been shown to be safe, you are able to move to a different vaccine,” he said. “Again, that's completely up to the individual.”

Parameters that govern when people can get the booster shots exist, depending upon the brand of the shot being administered, he added. That information is available on the GO Health website -- GO Health - Genesee & Orleans Public Health Departments (gohealthny.org)

Pettit said the Moderna booster is a half-dose, while Pfizer and J&J are full doses.

“The booster shots are currently recommended now, especially with the Delta variant circulating,” he said.

Third doses, which are different from boosters, have been available since late August, Pettit said, and are recommended for those with compromised immune systems.

Vaccinations are being administered by the health department on Wednesdays in Genesee County and Thursdays in Orleans County. Testing (BinaxNOW, not PCR) is done on Fridays in Genesee and on Tuesdays in Orleans.

Previously: Pettit: County health department COVID booster shot clinics to begin Wednesday; about 120 signed up

Pettit: County health department COVID booster shot clinics to begin Wednesday; about 120 signed up

By Mike Pettinella

It’s full speed ahead for the dispensation of COVID-19 booster shots at the Genesee & Orleans Health Departments.

Public Health Director Paul Pettit, speaking at the Genesee County Legislature’s Human Services Committee meeting this afternoon, said GO Health will be conducting its first booster clinic on Wednesday of this week – offering Modern, Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer doses.

For Genesee County residents, that means traveling to the health department offices at County Building 2, 3837 West Main St. Rd.

“Booster shots are open for everybody now … and we have about 120 people signed up for the morning (on Wednesday) already – and that’s all Moderna,” Pettit said. “So, that’s obviously leading to some additional demand. But most of our pharmacies are vaccinating, so people are able to go there, usually 9 (a.m.) to 9 (p.m.).”

Specifics of the three booster vaccinations, all at no charge, are as follows:

  • Moderna – 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline, Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna, or J&J. This Moderna booster shot registration must be at least six months after receiving the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer, or at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.
  • Pfizer – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with Pfizer, Moderna or J&J. This Pfizer booster shot registration must be at least six months after receiving the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.
  • Johnson & Johnson – 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. (Registration deadline: Nov. 3; appointments are limited). Open to those 18 and older with booster eligibility, including previous full vaccination with J&J, Pfizer, or Moderna. This J&J booster shot registration must be at least two months after receiving a single dose of J&J, or at least six months after receiving the second dose of Moderna or Pfizer.  You also must meet other eligibility requirements associated with age, work, or underlying health conditions as seen at: https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/booster-doses.

In all cases, proof of identity and original vaccination card (or other proof of your original full vaccination) will be required at the time of your appointment.

Pettit also said he expects to hear soon, possibly tomorrow, that the childhood vaccine for 5-11-year-olds has been approved.

“We’re ramping up and preparing to do some childhood vaccines, probably starting next week, if we get the vaccine in later this week,” he said. “We're going to be running those clinics kind of late afternoon/early evening to afford parents the opportunity to get home from work and come to the clinic if they want.

“Again, the primary focus with that age group, though, is not really to come to us. We'd rather have them go to their pediatrician, where there's a little more comfort and familiarity. Obviously, for those that have gotten child vaccines at that age, sometimes (it's) a little more tricky, especially in a mass setting …"

When asked about people “mixing and matching” the booster shots, Pettit said, “It’s really the ‘Wild Wild West’ on that.”

“I guess if you want to change it up and try something different,” he said. “I'm going to stick with what I got the first time because well, frankly, Moderna is holding up the best of all three.”

Pettit suggested that people speak with their doctors about whether they should switch from what they received the first time. He acknowledged that many people have switched from J&J because that vaccine “has held up probably the least over time now against the Delta variant.”

He said that most of the breakthrough cases (people getting COVID after being vaccinated) are with the J&J vaccine.

“They (J&J) probably should have just done two shots to start with,” he said. “Their two shots basically are the same efficacy as two shots of Moderna or Pfizer. But I think they wanted to offer a simpler path.”

On related topics, Pettit offered the following:

  • Hospital bed capacity.

“As we get in the cold or flu season, you're going to get more and more people come in. I mean, obviously, what they'll (hospitals) start doing is backing off on elective surgeries and things to try to free up more bed capacity. You know, unfortunately, we're heading into the time when we get more access needs to the emergency room and bed capacities.”

  • Current COVID cases.

“Cases are holding fairly steady – we had a little bit of an uptick, I think, over the weekend, compared to where we were last few weekends. But overall, we're averaging around 25 to 30 new cases a day, and on average around 200 or more as far as active cases of folks on isolation.

“Regionally, most people saw a pretty significant increase over the weekend with active cases. So, I mean, it could be attributed to people coming indoors; things closing up – getting a little colder out. You may recall last year, actually, Halloween-ish kicked off a lot of the activity; we had low numbers pretty much through most of October. And then once we got to Halloween, gatherings and parties and things  started happening, and we started seeing an increase in numbers.”

  • Nattural immunity.

“The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) does not recognize natural antibodies for the purposes of avoiding vaccination or for avoiding quarantines, you know, unfortunately. And I think the reason for that is typically we develop antibodies for certain strains. If you have the alpha variant, it may be less effective versus new strains but still affords protection similar to the vaccines, especially in preventing severity of illness.  

“There's a lot of debate over natural immunity versus the vaccines … it's kind of a controversial thing, because, you know, I think it's debatable, one way or the other … I think they've shown -- that the data shows -- that the vaccines provide better protection than natural immunity in this case with COVID, just due to the new variant, especially so. But if you had the Delta variant, I mean, you have immunity from it."

  • New vaccine technology.

“I think this is really when you look at the way they were able to produce this vaccine so quickly. I mean, it's really due to the technology. And I mean, there's a lot of talk now to start using the mRNA approach for flu vaccines and other things. You know, if you think about the window, when they make a flu vaccine, you're looking at what was circulating over in Asia and China -- like coming off in January, February. I mean, they can wait now until April or May, and get the mutations in there, and they can produce a vaccine in a month or a couple months, You're going to get a better efficacy out of that vaccine.”

Former UMMC employee attracts national attention as COVID-19 vaccine ‘whistleblower’

By Gretel Kauffman

A now-former employee of United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia has attracted national attention in recent weeks as a self-proclaimed “whistleblower” around what she describes as a “cover-up” of potential dangers of the COVID-19 vaccine.

A GoFundMe campaign that appears to have been created by Deborah Conrad states that the hospitalist physician assistant “recently lost her job due to the COVID-19 vaccine mandate.” A spokesperson for the Rochester Regional Health system confirmed to The Batavian on Oct. 13 that Conrad was no longer employed at the hospital.

But in a description for the GoFundMe campaign, which had attracted more than $74,000 from roughly 1,500 donors as of Sunday morning, Conrad suggested that she intends to remain in the public eye. Conrad has spoken to multiple media outlets in recent months, at times making controversial statements about the COVID-19 vaccine that other medical professionals say misrepresent the risks of immunization.

“As I move into this new chapter in my life, no longer able to do the job I have loved for the last 15 years, I want to make my sacrifices count,” the GoFundMe description reads. “As I gain more and more exposure to media outlets, I need to travel to speak at these events, and also support my family at the same time. I need the community around me to lift me up as I march this path of truth.”

Conrad declined through a third party to be interviewed by The Batavian.

STATEMENTS TRIGGER CONTROVERSY

While employed at UMMC, Conrad spoke to multiple media outlets in September, including the New York Times, about her hesitancy around the COVID-19 vaccine. She has also spoken locally on the matter.

Speaking to a crowd at EverPresent Church in Batavia at an event hosted by the church on Sept. 30, Conrad said that her public statements should not be interpreted as an attempt to discourage people from getting the COVID vaccine.

“I support you no matter what decision you make,” Conrad said. “I just want to make sure you have an informed choice.”

But a number of the insinuations and speculations that Conrad has made publicly, particularly those regarding UMMC patients whose conditions she has suggested may have been caused by the vaccine, have been characterized by other medical professionals as highly unlikely and not in line with the most up-to-date scientific research.

In an hour-long video interview published in September by The HighWire, a website run by the Texas-based anti-vaccine group Informed Consent Action Network, Conrad stated that her hospital had seen a noticeable increase in patients coming in with conditions including heart attacks, strokes, blood clots, gastrointestinal bleeds, sepsis, pneumonia, appendicitis, pancreatitis and “recurrent cancers” following the initial public rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021.

A spokesperson for Rochester Regional Health told The Batavian that hospital administration was not aware of any such increase.

“To our knowledge, no clinician, epidemiologist, hospital leader, or principal investigator running a clinical trial has commented, remarked or expressed similar experience or concern,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Batavian. “The only noticeable difference in admissions after the vaccines became available was that COVID-19 admissions significantly and dramatically decreased until the Delta variant became more prevalent in our area.”

If the hospital did see such an increase, that uptick could have been due to other factors including side effects of the COVID-19 virus itself, Dr. John Crane, a physician and professor at the University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biological Sciences, notes—"or to delays in needed care due to fear of catching COVID-19 in the hospital or in the emergency room, as has been seen many times in our country.”

Conrad went on to cite as examples several specific cases that she believed may have been linked to the vaccine, including a patient “whose cancer came back from remission and rapidly killed the individual” after they were vaccinated. She told the interviewer that she had also witnessed “new cancer [cases] come out of nowhere,” implying that any or all of these cases may have been caused by vaccination — a suggestion that Crane describes as “bogus.”

“There are millions of Americans receiving care for cancer at any given time in our country,” Crane wrote in an email to The Batavian. “Many of them achieve a prolonged remission or even achieve a cure. But there are thousands of others who relapse every week, regardless of whether they received a COVID-19 vaccination or not.”

While there is no medical evidence linking COVID vaccination with an increased likelihood of developing cancer, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and others are currently monitoring to learn whether COVID-19 infection itself carries a higher risk of developing subsequent cancers, Crane noted.

VACCINE DATABASE IS A TOPIC OF CONCERN

One of Conrad’s primary concerns, as she has stated in multiple speaking engagements and on her GoFundMe page, is public awareness of the federally-run Vaccine Averse Event Reporting (VAERS) database. The database, which has existed since 1990 and is co-managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, “accepts and analyzes” voluntarily-submitted reports of “adverse events,” or possible side effects, after a person has received a vaccination, according to a description on the official VAERS website.

“Most people don’t even know what VAERS is,” Conrad said at the EverPresent event in late September. “I didn’t know what VAERS was and I’m a health care worker.”

In the HighWire video interview, Conrad said that she had submitted the names and information of more than 120 UMMC patients to the database since the COVID-19 vaccine was rolled out, including an estimated 50 patients in the span of one particular month — accounting for the bulk of all the VAERS reports submitted by the hospital in that time, according to Conrad.

At one point, Conrad said, she approached hospital administration to ask for support in her work reporting patients to the VAERS database, as it had become a “full-time job.” That request was “met with resistance,” Conrad told the HighWire interviewer.

A spokesperson for Rochester Regional Health confirmed to The Batavian that such a conversation occurred, but disputed Conrad’s characterization of the hospital’s response as that of “resistance.”

“The administration has always confirmed that it is important to follow VAERS reporting requirements,” the spokesperson said.

In an undated phone call with UMMC President Dan Ireland recorded by Conrad, a clip of which was played in the video produced by The HighWire, Ireland clarified that the hospital system’s policy was that each health care provider “has the responsibility to report on their own patient” when it comes to submitting adverse events to the VAERS database.

The number of reports submitted by Conrad should not be interpreted as evidence that the same number of patients in fact experienced side effects from the vaccine, medical experts say. While health care workers are required by law to report certain adverse events—in other words, certain injuries, illnesses, or deaths—that occur within a specific time period after vaccination, not all events reported to VAERS are caused by vaccinations and VAERS reports “generally cannot be used to determine if a vaccine caused or contributed to an adverse event or illness,” according to the FDA website.

One example, according to Crane: If a newly-vaccinated patient becomes involved in a severe car crash on their way home from the vaccine clinic, their injuries from the crash could be reported as an adverse event—even if the crash was caused by their car’s malfunctioning autopilot feature and not by the vaccine.

For some patients and their families, a lack of broad public awareness of the database have lead to confusion around why certain cases are reported to VAERS and what these reports indicate.

Howard Owens of Batavia told The Batavian that he was contacted in August by a UMMC nurse, who informed him that his hospitalized wife, Billie, had been added to the VAERS database. (Note: Owens is the publisher of The Batavian. Billie Owens, who passed away on Oct. 15, was editor of The Batavian.) The call left Owens feeling perplexed. He had a clear understanding of his wife's health issues, some of which pre-dated her vaccination. He consulted with Billie's doctors who definitively agreed that her condition had not been caused by the COVID vaccine. 

“We knew why Billie had become ill,” Owens said. “It had nothing to do with COVID or the vaccine.”

The parameters of VAERS reporting -- and what his wife's inclusion in the database meant -- were not made clear to him during the call, Owens said. He said he was told during that call that Billie's inclusion in the database meant that she was confirmed to have had an adverse reaction. (When contacted by The Batavian, the nurse confirmed that she had provided Owens with a VAERS identification number but did not provide any other details about their exchange.)

When Owens watched Conrad’s interview with The HighWire — in which she suggested that a number of UMMC patients with serious conditions may have been hospitalized due to side effects from the vaccine — his confusion turned to frustration and anger, he said, largely on behalf of other families who may have found themselves in similar situations, leaving them susceptible to misinformation about the vaccine. 

"Making false claims about adverse reactions to patient families doesn't strike me as caring about patients,” Owens told The Batavian. “It seems like the exact opposite: Causing unnecessary drama in the lives of people already facing enough trauma at a critical time in their loved one's care.”

CONRAD: GOAL IS 'OPEN-MINDED HEALTHCARE'

Speaking at EverPresent Church, Conrad said she was invited to participate in the interview with The HighWire after she learned that ICAN had, unprompted, paid her legal fees for hiring a New York City-based attorney while she was employed at UMMC.

“Of course I was scared to death and I knew my job would be on the line as a result,” Conrad said, in reference to the interview. “I knew I would be exposed… I don’t want to hurt anybody, but I just can’t stand to see the injustice going on.”

In the description for her GoFundMe campaign, Conrad says that she is interested in opening her own local clinic “offering unbiased, open-minded healthcare” in the future. In the meantime, she wrote, she hopes that her public statements will prompt discussion of “how to help those possibly injured and give them a voice.”

“I didn’t want this job, but I just kept hearing [God] call me,” Conrad told the crowd at EverPresent Church. “I just keep hearing him tell me, ‘Don’t be afraid. Keep going. Keep doing what you’re doing.’”

Gretel Kauffman, a former resident of Elba, is a special corresponded for The Batavian.

Photo: Screen capture from video interview with Conrad on The HighWire

NYS COVID Report Card reveals 22 on list of 'new positives' in schools; County to offer telehealth services

By Mike Pettinella

Twenty-two students, teachers and staff at Genesee County school districts are listed as “new positives” as of Tuesday on New York State’s COVID Report Card dashboard.

Of that number, 15 are students, three are teachers and four are staff members, and of the students, five are in the Batavia City School District, four in Le Roy and Oakfield-Alabama and one in Pavilion and Pembroke.

The numbers also include two Elba teachers and one Pavilion teacher, and three Le Roy employees and one O-A employee.

Since Sept. 13, however, per data reported by the individual schools, 174 students, teachers and staff have tested positive for the coronavirus, with 74 of those at Batavia and 50 at Le Roy – the county’s two largest schools.

At Batavia, 69 of those 74 are students, while three are teachers and two are staff members. At Le Roy, 38 of those 50 are students, while one is a teacher and 11 are staff members.

Breaking down those numbers further:

  • From Sept. 22 to Oct. 5, Batavia – 45 students, one teacher, two staff; Le Roy – 24 students, no teachers, 10 staff.
  • From Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, Batavia – 26 students, one teacher, two staff; Le Roy – nine students, no teachers and nine staff.

COVID-19 positives are low at other school districts, with Alexander reporting no cases at all since Sept. 13 and Notre Dame just two – with none in the last 14 or seven days.

Data from other schools is as follows:

  • Byron-Bergen: 15 students, two teachers, one staff since Sept. 13; five students, no teachers, one staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; four students, no teachers, one staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.
  • Elba: No students, two teachers, no staff for all reporting dates.
  • Oakfield-Alabama: 15 students, no teachers, two staff since Sept. 13; 11 students, no teachers, two staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; five students, no teachers, two staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.
  • Pavilion: Three students, one teacher, no staff since Sept. 13; two students, one teachers, no staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; one student, one teacher, no staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.
  • Pembroke: Five students, two teachers, no staff since Sept. 13; three students, two teachers, no staff from Sept. 22 through Oct. 5; two students, two teachers, no staff from Sept. 29 through Oct. 5.

COUNTY OFFERING TELEHEALTH TO SCHOOLS

In an effort to make it easier for school districts to interact with health care professionals, the Genesee County Health Department, as part of its comprehensive COVID testing plan, has set up a contract with Mobile TeleMed LLC of Buffalo to provide in-school telehealth sessions at no charge to school districts through July 2022.

“Schools that want to participate will be able to have a Telehealth cart down at the nurses’ office where students and/or staff come down and engage with varying levels,” Public Health Director Paul Pettit said.

“It could be a lower level, an RN (Registered Nurse), or mid-level, an NP (Nurse Practitioner), PA (Physician’s Assistant) or even a physician, where they can have that engagement in real time, on site, through the Telecart, and they can provide potentially a diagnosis, whether it’s COVID, along with on-site testing. There are a lot of ways they can leverage that relationship right at school.”

Pettit said this program could take the place of parents having to go to the doctor’s office after they get out of work or go to urgent care centers.

“We’re pretty confident that this type of technology will help us to avoid some of those unnecessary visits and allowed it to be taken care of right on site,” he said.

Pettit said Le Roy Central School district is very interested in participating.

 “We need the schools to sign on. We believe that Le Roy is very close. We’ve been working with them and have a couple of carts there.”

Le Roy Superintendent Merritt Holly confirmed that the district is “exploring the possibility and how we can further assist and help our students and families.”

The program is being funded by a grant to the health department, Pettit said, adding that the school district will contract directly with TeleMed, which will handle billing to the students’ family. Parents would need to sign consent forms for their children to access the videoconference technology.

“My hope is that this will be a sustainable access to care beyond COVID,” Pettit said. “Obviously, they (schools) would have to fund it after that point (after July 31, 2022). If the school found value in continuing to have something like this for their staff and their students, they could continue on past our grant funds. They’d already have the relationship and they could continue to use it as a way to engage health care.”

Fees (which will be paid for by the grant for through next July) are as follows:

  • Base pricing per district is $1,200 per cart per month, plus $500 for training and implementation.
  • Small school pricing is set at $2 per district student per month, starting at a minimum cost of $800 per month plus the $500 training and implementation charge.

Pettit said COVID testing is taking place in local schools, with testing kits provided by the county.

The Genesee County Legislature is expected to vote on the contract with Mobile TeleMed at its Oct. 13th meeting.

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Update, Oct. 7, 9 a.m.:

A check of the NYS COVID Report Card this morning reveals that under the Lab Reported category, Alexander Central School District has had an estimated 18 positive cases among students since Sept. 1, 14 from Sept. 23-Oct. 6, nine from Sept. 30-Oct. 6, and one since Oct. 6. Lab Reported numbers and School Reported numbers can vary. As indicated in the story above, Alexander CSD apparently did not report positive cases to the state Department of Health or its report was not received.

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