Monroe County’s COVID-19 death toll increased by two on Wednesday, according to data from the county public health department.
Eighty-eight people have now died of the disease in the county.
The health department also reported 56 newly confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus on Wednesday -- the highest one-day total since April 8.
One of those cases is a person under 19 years old. Another is a person in their 90s.
Testing supplies are still limited, but local laboratories have been processing more samples in the last few weeks.
County public health commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza has endorsed expanding testing for the virus to high-risk communities including nursing home residents and people of color, especially in the city of Rochester.
Still, with fewer than 10,000 tests completed in the county, the sample of results is far too small for an accurate picture of the virus’s prevalence in the community.
The county health department and local hospitals have credited aggressive distancing measures with preventing a surge in COVID-19 cases that would have overwhelmed the local health care system.
