Some 503 more COVID-19 coronavirus cases and 12 more related deaths were confirmed across Potter and bordering counties over the past 72 hours. Twelve of the new cases between Tuesday and Friday were residents of Potter County. Current active case count in Potter County stands at 58, broken down as follows: Coudersport area, 19; Shinglehouse, 13; Roulette, 10; Harrison Township, 7; Ulysses, 3; Genesee, 3; Austin, 2; Roulette, 1. Pa. Dept. of Health (DOH) considers a case to be “active,” and the victim contagious, if a positive test result occurred over the past 14 days. A recent U.S. Centers for Disease Control model has found that the actual number of COVID-19 infections in a locale could be much higher than the detected cases. Since the pandemic began, there have been 847 cases and 20 COVID-related deaths in Potter County.
Public health officials are now cautioning that new, more contagious strains of the coronavirus have been detected in a growing number of states. This will likely prolong the pandemic, extending health and safety restrictions and reinforcing the need for preventive measures for several months. The discovery also underscores the urgency of making the FDA-approved vaccine available across the country.
Entering Friday, some 307 Potter County residents have received the full two-shot dosage and 312 have been given the initial dose. Most of those are front-line health care providers, residents of skilled care homes, emergency responders and residents 65 and older. Supplies of the vaccine remain limited. Qualifying criteria for receiving the vaccine can be found here. Rite Aid Pharmacies in the region have been offering appointment reservations as supplies become available. To access the online reservation form, click here. Pa. Dept. of Health also offers an online Vaccine Provider Map, accessible here, to assist eligible residents with scheduling their shots directly with the provider. A set of frequently asked questions and answers to them can be found here.
Three testing sites for the COVID-19 coronavirus remain available in Coudersport. In addition to the testing site at UPMC Cole for physician-referred patients, tests are also being administered at Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy (visit the website here or call 1-800-635-8611 to complete an eligibility assessment) and Rite Aid Pharmacy (visit the website here or call 814-274-0439).
