PRESS RELEASE - March 18, 2020
Provided by: Jerry L. Davis, Chairman of the Board-
Chairman of the Wyoming County Board of Supervisors, Jerry L. Davis, reports: "On March 17th, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Wyoming County from a resident in the Northwest quadrant of the County. The individual is in under mandatory quarantine, recovering at home. Health department personnel are already at work identifying the close contacts of this individual and to place those close contacts in mandatory quarantine to monitor for symptoms, including fever over 100.4, cough and breathing difficulties. There are eighteen additional test results pending over the coming days and more confirmed cases are expected.
We will not be releasing specific information regarding residency. Our environment and population is different than Erie and Monroe Counties, for example the population in the Town of Cheektowaga is twice that of the entire County of Wyoming. However, we want to be as transparent to our concerning public as we can while maintaining our legal and privacy obligations. For our purposes regarding residency, we will be breaking down the county townships and reporting in quadrants:
1. Northwest- Attica, Bennington, Orangeville, Sheldon
2. Southwest- Arcade, Eagle, Java, Wethersfield
3. Southeast- Castile, Gainesville, Genesee Falls, Pike
4. Northeast- Covington, Middlebury, Perry, Warsaw
Remember, most people with COVID-19 can recover at home. Please stay at home as much as possible and take sensible precautions including avoiding crowds, frequent handwashing, the six feet social distancing practices and avoid touching your face. Please check on community members that might need assistance, be a good neighbor - this is what we do in Wyoming County. Thank you to everyone who has offered to volunteer their assistance. A future update will give more information on how to volunteer where you are needed most. Residents are urged not to respond to unreliable information. Consult the CDC and NYSDOH websites for federal and state updates and the Wyoming County website for daily local updates. Call the NYS COVID-19 hotline at 888-364-3065 with general questions. Finally, our lives have certainly been interrupted by all these changes – things definitely look different than they did just a couple weeks ago. Someone said recently, it will be impossible to know if we over-reacted or did too much…but it will be quite apparent if we under-reacted or did too little. Thank you for doing your part.
If you think you have been exposed to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and develop a fever and symptoms, such as cough or difficulty breathing, call your healthcare provider for medical advice. Please don’t just present yourself at the Emergency Room or your Doctor’s office. It is vital you call your healthcare provider in advance, which also allows for preparation of patients. Current measures being taken are to prevent and slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of residents. Some people are at increased risk for COVID-19, including older adults and those with chronic health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html#who-is-higher-risk
On March 17, 2020, I directed Department Heads to allow non-essential personnel, as determined by the Department Head, to be able to work from home or take leave without charging accruals, except for those personnel essential to county operations and to our response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency in accordance to the Governor’s Executive Orders. There will be updates as Departments adjust in the days to come, but we are committed to providing the best in services during this crisis.
Wyoming County Declared a State of Emergency at midnight on March 15, 2020. The purpose of the Declaration was to allow the schools to close at their discretion and provide additional resources for response.
Please check the County website www.wyomingco.net for hours of operation and instructions for face to face business at essential county departments and general updates. An additional press release will be disseminated at 2:00 p.m. tomorrow, March 19, 2020."
