Clinton County COVID-19 cases top 200

PLATTSBURGH | With widespread contact tracing efforts underway, the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Clinton County has prompted at least one temporary switch to remote learning and numerous quarantined classrooms across the county. With 49 new cases reported overnight-the largest seen since early last spring-the current county COVID-19 caseload stood at 206 as of Sept. 17. Roughly 600 people were quarantined. According to the Clinton County Health Department, most of the cases stem from family and community interactions, though the impacts have already infiltrated each local school district-leaving classrooms quarantined across the county in just the second week of classes for many. Saranac Central School District was one already combating daily reports of student and staff positive cases when administrators decided Sept. 17 to move the most impacted school-Saranac Elementary-into a full week of remote learning for all grades after more than a dozen cases were reported in the last week. While cases have also been reported at Morrisonville Elementary, the middle and high school, Saranac Elementary was hardest hit with five new cases reported Friday alone, bringing the week's total to 13. In light of the rise and with several classes already under quarantine, Saranac Central Superintendent Javier Perez said out of an abundance of caution, he made "the very difficult decision to change the instructional model for Saranac Elementary to remote instruction from Monday, Sept. 20 through Friday, Sept. 24." After speaking with the Health Department, Perez said "there is currently no reason to believe that the spread of the virus is occurring in our building...Cases continue to be linked to family cases where the virus is infecting entire families." "I am hoping that this measure will help slow down or stop the current spread of the virus within the Saranac Elementary School community. I also want to make sure that we are doing our part in keeping students, faculty, staff, and the community safe," he told parents in an afternoon update. Student and staff cases have been reported in each district, though specific data regarding area schools is unavailable as the New York State School COVID Report Card website has been temporarily unavailable for viewing. But, the Clinton County Health Department is so inundated with cases, districts were notified Friday of their need to now help with initial quarantine orders and notification. According to an update by Northern Adirondack Central School Superintendent James Knight Jr., Clinton County Health Department sent a letter to administrators Friday afternoon saying "with the high number of active school cases we are seeing, we are unable to process contacts in a timeframe that meets your and your students' needs." The letter went on to read: "Until the number of school cases decreases, we will provide a blanket quarantine order to the school with the appropriate dates that you can distribute to students/ families identified as contacts, as soon as they are identified. We will process school contacts Monday- Friday and families may hear from the state contact tracing team to provide a personalized order. However, there is a chance families will not hear from the state contact tracing team. Also as result of this adjustment, students may or may not receive a formal release from isolation. It will be important for the school to maintain the spreadsheet and awareness of when students can return as there may or not be an electronic trail in the contact tracing software for us to reference." As districts continue to brace for wider impacts, the rise in cases has also prompted many municipalities to return to indoor mask use, including at the Village of Champlain just one day earlier. Health officials are encouraging all residents to stay home when sick, wear masks in public and resume vigilant health practices, such as hand washing and using sanitizer. The next county update will be Monday, Sept. 20.

Signup for our newsletter

Clinton County COVID-19 cases top 200

COMPANY

CUSTOMER SUPPORT

SUBMISSION FORMS

BEYOND THE NEWS