The daily number of new COVID-19 cases for Monroe County hit another record.
Thursday, the county’s Department of Public Health reported 300 new confirmed cases of coronavirus. The seven-day rolling average of new cases is 227 per day, and the positivity rate is 4.34%.
There were two new deaths reported, the total number of deaths is 309 to date.
Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza says that when it comes to flattening the curve, the health department is facing greater resistance from the public than before.
“More people who are refusing to share information about where they were from, or where they were, and not sharing information about who they were with,” Mendoza said.
The contact tracing that happens when someone tests positive is only as good as the information they receive, he said.
“But even with those few people who are not cooperating, the volume of people under quarantine has grown very rapidly,” he said.
County executive Adam Bello said that while people have become more relaxed over the summer months, it’s time to apply the lessons learned in March and April in order to bring down the rate of infections.
“The consequence of not taking this seriously today of prolonging the situation we currently find ourselves in will lead to more sickness and more loss of life,” he said. “It will lead to more businesses shutting down and permanently.”
Much of the county was recently declared a ‘yellow zone’ by the state, part of its micro-cluster strategy to try to control the virus through additional restrictions and additional testing in specific areas.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo reported on Thursday that the COVID-19 infection rate for the Finger Lakes region as of Wednesday was 4.8%.
On Friday, new restrictions go into effect statewide in an effort to control the spread of the virus including a requirement that bars, restaurants and gyms close at 10 p.m. Restaurants can continue to provide takeout and delivery after 10 p.m., but only for food.
The number of people gathering at a home will be limited to 10 or fewer.
