Two weeks, two COVID deaths in Warren Co.; new cases inch upward

QUEENSBURY | The second COVID-related death of a Warren County resident within two weeks was reported July 13 by Warren County Health Services. As in the case which was reported July 2, this individual was in their 70s, lived at home, and had been vaccinated before contracting COVID-19 but was afflicted with other health problems. In the latest case, county health employees were investigating how and where the person was exposed to the potentially deadly virus. Warren County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Rachel Seeber said county officials were saddened by the deaths. "COVID still presents unique challenges for all of us and we continue to ask for our community to remain vigilant, patient, and united as we continue to work together to end this pandemic," she said, urging people to get vaccinated because inoculation provides the best protection against the illness. "We grieve with all who have struggled with the sudden losses of their loved ones." As of July 14, 23 of 40,339 fully vaccinated Warren County residents had tested positive for COVID-19. All three vaccines were involved with these 23 cases. Nineteen of the 23 had a mild illness, while one became moderately ill, one seriously ill, and two critically ill before passing away. Warren County Health Services Director Ginelle Jones urged residents to get vaccinated as COVID cases around the state and nation have increased in recent days. "Overall, the COVID-19 vaccines have been remarkably effective in preventing serious illness among our residents," she said. "Inoculation is the best weapon we have to protect ourselves from this virus." As of July 14, Warren County was monitoring 19 cases of COVID-19 among those both vaccinated and unvaccinated, and 18 of those cases were considered mild. Seeber also urged people to take precautions to prevent the disease from spreading. "These deaths are a terrible reminder that we are still fighting the long-lasting and devastating impacts of a pandemic here at home and that we should continue to follow the recommendations of our medical experts as we continue to work to limit the spread of COVID-19," she said. Local COVID-19 case count rises, but far less than elsewhere On July 14, the county health agency reported six new COVID cases had emerged, raising a six-day total to 18 cases after a similar period of time when no cases or merely one had been reported daily. This most recent resurgence in COVID — which followed a period of time in which there were few new cases — may have been due to exposure in travel and gatherings associated with the Fourth of July weekend. The lull in new cases in early July was the lowest ongoing case count since last October. This recent increase of infections in Warren County was far less steep than other areas of the U.S. with low vaccination rates — where the number of cases, COVID hospitalizations, and related deaths have increased sharply in the past 10 days or so. These states are Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Kansas, and Louisiana. The states that have seen the greatest increase in recent hospitalizations are Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, Nevada, and Mississippi, according to government data. Arkansas, for example, has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the U.S., with 35 percent of its population fully vaccinated as of July 13, compared with 62.8% of Warren County's population fully vaccinated, and New York State's figure of 55.5 percent. On July 14, the U.S. Surgeon General said the increase of false information about COVID-19 and preventive vaccines was an "urgent threat" to public health and put "lives at risk,", noting that COVID-19 vaccination falsehoods were particularly widespread on the internet and social media. The recent passing of these two Warren County residents in July raised the county's COV-19 death total to 70 since the pandemic began, while a total of 3,548 cases have been confirmed among county residents.

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Two weeks, two COVID deaths in Warren Co.; new cases inch upward

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