Broome County Virus Battle Continues

Delaware County Numbers Rising

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As the statewide number of COVID-19 cases continues to slowly decline, Broome County is dealing with a steadily rising caseload. On Wednesday, Broome County Executive Jason Garnar said the number of people who have died from the virus there is actually higher than previously reported. Due to what he said were communication issues with the state health department, they had not been counting an additional five people , all of whom were seventy years old or older. A total of 41 people have now died from the virus in Broome County, and there are 145 active cases, many of them, he said, in the Willow Point Nursing Home in Vestal.

To try to slow the spread of the virus, the county has instituted an even and odd number day system, based on a resident's birth year, and asks residents to restrict shopping and park visits to their designated day.

The entire state has now begun phased reopening, with the exception of the New York City region.

In Delaware County, there have been more new cases, and an increase in the number of people in mandatory quarantine. According to the county Director of Planning, who has been coordinating the county's virus response.

Shelly Johnson-Bennett, who updated the county Board of Supervisors at their online meeting Wednesday, said she is watching to see the impact of the holiday weekend.

We're still seeing an incline since we started reopening, and I'm hopeful that the Memorial Day weekend doesn't give us a bunch more dramatic increase. We are seeing more positive cases in the last few days again, and we're seeing substantially more quarantines, so we're on the upslide.”

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