Steuben County Manager and Leadership at UR Medicine/St. James Hospital Urge the Community to Maintain Safety Amid Growing COVID-19 Cases

December 11, 2020… As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases grows in Hornell and surrounding communities, officials at Steuben County and St. James Hospital ask community members to continue taking every precaution to stay safe.

 “The seven day rolling average of positive cases is higher than what we saw in the spring, having reached double digits this week,” said Jack Wheeler, Steuben County manager.  “As of Dec. 10 we were at almost 2,300 confirmed cases and 110 deaths.  We simply want people to stay as safe and healthy as possible, and minimize their risk of exposure.”

 “We have seen a recent surge of COVID cases with more admissions to the hospital,” said Bilal Ahmed, M.D., chief medical officer.  “Over the last two weeks hospitalization rates have increased at St. James and at all of the regional hospitals.”

“We are taking all the necessary precautions to keep our staff and patients safe through screening, safe distancing, and use of Personal Protective Equipment,” said Bryan O’Donovan, president and CEO.  “Through our collaboration with UR Medicine, we have a 90-day supply of PPE on hand.” 

Dr. Ahmed encourages community members to continue seeking routine and emergency care when needed. 

“People should stay in touch with their primary care provider for any health needs.  Anyone with severe symptoms – such as shortness of breath and high fever – should go to the emergency department for a higher level of care, and if possible should call in advance (607-247-2300).”