Clinton County details current state of COVID-19 oubreaks

PLATTSBURGH | Now with 43 active cases of COVID-19 in Clinton County, officials are urging the public to continue practicing preventative measures to help keep current outbreaks from spreading further. "Residents cannot become complacent," Clinton County Health Department Director John Kanoza urged on Oct. 22 during a live-streamed news conference for the community. "If you keep practicing the protective safety measures you have been doing all along, my request to you is to keep doing it. "And stay home when you are sick. I know it's hard to do, but stay home if you're sick." The plea came as the county released new data showing 43 current active cases with five more having been reported overnight, most of which were associated with the current outbreak at SUNY Plattsburgh. Currently 25 active cases are associated with the college, including one staff member and 24 students. College President Dr. Alexander Enyedi said 114 people affiliated with the university are currently in quarantine, 77 of whom live on campus. Roughly six on-campus students are in isolation, along with one staff member and roughly 18 off-campus students. The university has dedicated two dorm areas with nearly 250 rooms available as specific isolation and quarantine areas. The college has also halted all athletic and fitness-center activities, Enyedi said during the midday briefing. The college went seven consecutive weeks without incident following the first two cases reported at the onset of classes, but a COVID-19 cluster in mid-October continues to slowly grow as contact tracing and isolation efforts continue. He applauded both county and college officials for their proactive work in curbing the spread and said the ongoing massive rounds of pooled surveillance testing will be expanded in the coming weeks. In-person classes are slated to end Nov. 20 and students will not return to campus until Feb. 8, allowing for a two-week testing period before students return. Students must adhere to a strict Cardinal Pledge dedicated to maintaining precautionary efforts, such as avoiding large crowds, maintaining social distancing and mask-wearing. He echoed Kanoza's sentiments and urged both students and the public to ramp up and maintain personal efforts to minimize possible spread. "Behavior is our best strategy, don't let your guard down," he said. Dr. Keith Collins, infectious disease specialist at the University of Vermont Health Network-CVPH, said those preventative measures must be continued before the region faces an overload of cases. "Those are the things we still have to do as a society and as a community, it's important during the fall and winter that we keep that up," he said. As of Oct. 22, four of the hospitalized patients in Clinton County, including one in the intensive-care unit, are stabilized and improving. Collins also cited recent studies, including one by Duke University, that showed bandanas and face gators as far less safe options than actual masks, and asked all residents to refrain from wearing them. "Use masks, don't use those things," he said. "I encourage everyone to use masks and not use bandanas or gators until we know more." Collins said he knows the public is experiencing "COVID fatigue" but implored each resident to continue practicing all proactive safety measures to help protect others, themselves and their loved ones. "We can't test our way out of this pandemic," he said. "The best thing we still have, especially as cases are creeping up, is to do what we've been doing." While it may seem tiring, Collins said "We have to do what we have to do right now." Clinton County Sheriff David Favro coined the phrase "COVID Traumatic Stress Disorder" and said he knows firsthand the added stress that has brought the community, individuals, families and professionals, but said the community can pull through if it unites together. "This virus has impacted each and every one of us, whether you believe it or not," Favro said. "And at the end of the day what I'm trying to say is we need to do this together." Favro said that regardless of personal views about masks, residents need to still respect people around them by putting them on and respecting the physical distance of others. He said his agency is prepared to enforce health mandates for those who continue to disregard the current social restrictions. "We will get through these challenging times, but we need to do it together as a team," he said. As of Oct. 22, the COVID-19 cluster at Clinton Correctional Facility reportedly went unchanged while one new case was found in the Northeastern Clinton Central School District, where a Rouses Point first-grader recently tested positive. More details about those instances can be found at SunCommunityNews.com. The rising number of COVID-19 cases in Clinton County has also promoted the area to be added to Vermont's Travel Restriction List, banning all leisure travel to Vermont. Essential travel, such as for work or medical care, is permitted. More details about the travel ban can be found at accd.vermont.gov/covid-19/restart/cross-state-travel.

Signup for our newsletter

Clinton County details current state of COVID-19 oubreaks

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS