BATH – The Steuben County Public Health Department received notification that a Steuben County resident tested positive for COVID-19. This brings the total to 337 confirmed cases, eight of which are currently active. The individual is a resident of the Town of Caton.
The individual is isolated and being monitored by the County Health Department. Public Health staff investigated and identified close contacts of the confirmed case and exposure risks. All those known to have direct contact with the individual have been notified.
Per CDC and New York State Department of Health guidance, information is collected beginning 48 hours prior to symptom onset or date of test if asymptomatic through the day of the positive test result to identify any potential exposure risks.
The investigation indicates the individual was exposed at the Lighthouse Baptist Church in Horseheads, where a cluster of cases has impacted residents of six counties, including Chemung, Schuyler, and now Steuben. Anyone who visited the church between August 18 and September 6 is considered to be exposed and should get tested and quarantine.
The individual also reported visiting the following locations within the investigation timeframe:
· 9/8/20 Morning – Dollar General in Caton
· 9/9/20 Morning – The Vitamin Shoppe in Horseheads
· 9/9/20 Morning – Walgreens in Elmira
“We urge anyone who has visited the Lighthouse Baptist Church to contact us and get tested,” said Public Health Director, Darlene Smith. “There are already at least 45 identified cases connected to the church across six counties. We want to make sure that number doesn’t rise exponentially and impact the communities even more.”
All residents should continue to monitor themselves for COVID-19 symptoms of fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills or repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, and new loss of taste or smell and contact their healthcare provider for instructions if feeling ill.
For the latest Steuben County updates, visit Steuben County’s website at www.steubencony.org or social media pages: www.facebook.com/
