There was a 134th death in Cattaraugus County from COVID-19 on Friday and 67 new cases.
Director Dr. Kevin D. Watkins, the county’s public health director, said the county remains in a red zone in terms of community transmission of the virus and “is on the upside of the bell-shaped curve.”
The latest death was an 89-year-old man who developed respiratory failure and was unable to overcome his illness, Watkins said.
Cattaraugus County is on track in October to crack the 1,000 mark of new COVID-19 cases for the third month of this pandemic.
“The mortality rate this month is most concerning and because of the high transmission rate in the community, we should follow CDC guidance and wear masks indoors,” Watkins said.
There have been 13 deaths in October. Of the 67 new cases Friday, 59 were unvaccinated and eight were vaccinated.
So far this month, 829 county residents have tested positive for COVID-19. That eclipses the 691 cases reported in November 2020, which had the third-highest number of cases.
Only in the months of December 2020, when there were 1,444 cases, and this past January, when there were 1,159 cases, were there a greater number of COVID-19 cases in the county than in the first three weeks of October. There were 21 deaths from COVID-19 last December and six in January.
The deadliest month was February, when 30 residents died from the coronavirus. There were 603 positive tests that month.
Schools have been a significant contributor to the overall number of cases since September — almost 300 cases have been reported to the county health department.
The department is following 395 active cases including 38 who are hospitalized and 688 in contact quarantine.
Testing thousands of students, teachers and staff at the county’s 12 public school districts has found 275 cases in the first six weeks of the school year, according to the state’s COVID-19 Report Card, online at https://schoolcovidreportcard.health.ny.gov/#/searchResults
As of Thursday, the Olean City School District had reported 43 cases since Sept. 1. No breakdown available for the number of students, teachers and staff by school was available for Olean.
The Pioneer School District in Yorkshire reported a total of 66 cases of COVID-19 from its testing including 54 students, 15 in elementary, 17 in middle school and 22 in high school. Six teachers and three staff members also tested positive for COVID-19.
Hinsdale Central School had the third-highest number of positive COVID-19 tests, 38, including 33 students, three teachers and two staff members.
Gowanda Central School District has reported 35 cases, 28 of which were students — 12 high school, 11 middle school and five elementary school — one high school teacher and six staff members.
Cattaraugus-Little Valley Central School reported 29 cases including 14 elementary, five senior and eight middle school students and one middle school teacher.
Portville Central School reported 23 cases including 10 elementary and five junior-senior high students. There was also an elementary and a junior-senior high teacher and an elementary staff member.
At Randolph Central School, there have been 17 cases reported, including 14 students, nine elementary and five in junior-senior high. An elementary teacher and staff member and a junior-senior teacher also tested positive for COVID-19.
Salamanca Central School reported 12 COVID-19 cases including three elementary and seven junior-senior high students. One elementary and one junior-senior high staff members also tested positive.
At Franklinville, nine cases have been reported, three elementary students and one teacher and three high school students and two staff members.
Ellicottville Central School reported seven cases, three elementary students and four junior-senior high students
Allegany-Limestone reported three students, one elementary and four high school students testing positive for COVID-19.
West Valley also reported three cases, one students, one teacher and one staff member.
Watkins fears many people “are beginning to feel less afraid of the virus and willing to accept the outcomes associated with contracting the virus. We should definitely follow CDC guidelines — wear masks where recommended, socially distance, and frequently wash your hands,” he said.
“We’ve had a lot higher number of breakthrough cases than ever this month, some are getting sick,” Watkins continued. “It could be that the vaccine has waned. We are now encouraging all vaccinated individuals who meet the qualifications to get a booster.”
Most of those who are fully vaccinated and hospitalized have underlying health conditions, he said. “Boosters are incredibly important in this population.”
The health department is reaching out to medical providers “to step up and assist in getting residents vaccinated,” Watkins said. “The department is doing its best, but the community could be served better if providers would play a bigger role in administering the COVID-19 vaccine to their patients.”
The health department “will continue to try to address any concerns residents may have about the vaccine and we will make the vaccine available by hosting vaccine clinics strategically throughout the county,” Watkins said. “We will distribute vaccines to providers if they sign up to administer the vaccine.”
To register for a free COVID-19 diagnostic test through the county health department, go online to:
There are now 59.8% of the 18 and older population and 49.2% of the county’s entire population who have at least one dose of vaccine
Appointments for vaccinations can be made through the Cattaraugus County website by visiting: https://www.cattco.org/covid-vacc-info or call the COVID-19 Vaccine Hotline at (716) 701-3777.
Friday’s daily positivity was 4.1% and the seven-day rolling average was 8.8%.
