Results 1 to 2 of 2

Thread: What’s going on in Lancaster? Officials struggle to find cause of high Covid rates

  1. #1
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    8,918

    What’s going on in Lancaster? Officials struggle to find cause of high Covid rates

    What’s going on in Lancaster? Officials struggle to find cause of high Covid rates

    By Aaron Besecker
    BUFFLO NEWS STAFF REPORTER

    Lancaster gained the dubious distinction early this week of having the highest daily positive test rate for Covid-19, not just within the region, but across the state.

    And as Erie County deals with what officials have called an “explosion” of cases – which led to concern there may be a state-imposed near-shutdown – elected officials in the Lancaster area on Tuesday said they haven’t been able to pinpoint what in particular or in general is driving the high rate of spread in their community.

    The county Department of Health offered nothing about any potential contributors to the high rate of positive tests in Lancaster “aside from community spread,” spokeswoman Kara Kane said Tuesday in an email.

    Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in his daily briefings on Sunday and Monday singled out Lancaster for its high positive test rate. On Sunday, Cuomo announced the daily rate as 9.17%; on Monday he said it was 9.68%. As of Monday, the seven-day average for the five-county Western New York region was 5%, while the statewide average was 2.9%, according to the state Department of Health.

    For the week ending Saturday , according to the county Health Department, the 14086 ZIP code – which encompasses most of the Town of Lancaster, as well as the Village of Lancaster – had the second-highest rate of new cases among all ZIP codes, when adjusted for population, in the county.

    The 14086 ZIP code had 194 new Covid cases for that week, as well as a seven-day-average rate of 87 new daily cases per 100,000 population, according to the Health Department. Though the Eden ZIP code had 64 new cases, its population-adjusted rate was 112.7, highest in the county.

    Lancaster Town Supervisor Ronald Ruffino Sr. said he hasn’t heard from health or state officials about what’s been driving up the rate. Ruffino’s been trying to get more information from the Governor’s Office about the data Cuomo cited, he said. In response to the rising case numbers, town courts and the town’s senior center are closed, and Town Board meetings continue to be conducted virtually. “It’s happening everywhere,” he said. “We just got singled out because we happened to be the highest. Again, I don’t know how they’re running their numbers and what makes us the highest. It’s kind of hard to believe that Lancaster, N.Y., is the highest in New York State, but that’s why I want to see how they’re looking at their numbers.”

    County Legislator Frank Todaro, whose district includes Lancaster, said he and other legislators have been seeking more information from the Health Department that would help provide a fuller picture about the local spread of Covid-19.

    Todaro said it bothers him to hear Lancaster has the highest test rate when he sees businesses complying with safety mandates.

    As of Monday, the number of Covid- 19 cases within Lancaster Central schools over the preceding seven days was 14, according to data from the state Department of Health. That’s the second most over that time of any public-school district in Erie and Niagara counties, according to state data.

    That figure includes students, teachers and staff members who spent time within school buildings but doesn’t include positive cases of persons off-site.

    The school district has reported a total of 41 cases, which also is the second-highest total in the two counties. Lancaster Superintendent Michael J. Vallely could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

    Greenfield Health & Rehab Center, a nursing home in the town, reported 28 Covid-19 cases for the week ending Saturday, according to data shared Tuesday with the Erie County Legislature by the county Health Department. The Broadway facility has 160 beds, which put the percent positive rate for the nursing home at 17.5%, according to the Health Department’s report. The latest figures from the nursing home show an increase of 16 cases from the previous week, according to a prior Health Department report.

    The Health Department only shares with the county Legislature information from facilities that have a percent-positive rate of 5% or more. Lancaster has several nursing homes within its borders.

    Tuesday night’s Lancaster Village Court session was canceled, though Mayor William C. Schroeder said he was not sure if it was Covid-related. The cancellation may have been caused by a mandate from state, Schroeder said.

    Village officials have not had any reported cases of Covid-19 among employees, he said.

    “It’s happening everywhere. We just got singled out because we happened to be the highest. Again, I don’t know how they’re running their numbers and what makes us the highest.”
    – Ronald Ruffino Sr., Lancaster Town Supervisor



    Comment

    I had been requesting information early on where Lancaster stood on not only reported Covid cases, but on hospitalizations and deaths, I was unable to get any information from Town of Lancaster officials or Legislator Todaro – who I had contacted and were also informing me that they were not getting any information from the county.

    Although more definitive, the reason and source cannot be determined as Lancaster is a bedroom community and much of its workforce travels to other municipalities and has the potential to bring the virus home.

    As someone of age and with a compromised immune system, I have been following mask wearing, hand washing, social distancing, sanitizing, etc., guidelines since March. In my Lancaster visits to stores, restaurants, medical offices, shops, etc. I have been impressed seeing other Lancastrians practicing the same prescribed guidelines.

    Lancaster may be #1 in reported Covid cases right now, but not because ‘we don’t live in the real world’ and are acting irresponsibly – IMHO!

    As someone who repeatedly asked in the past, “How safe am I in my own town,” how unfortunate that I was unable to get an answer until now. Lancaster is being unfairly targeted.

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    8,918
    At Monday evening’s Lancaster town board meeting I thanked Supervisor Ruffino for announcing that within a two-week period in November Covid cases surged from 587 to 1,120 cases, a 49% increase. He also said that he did some research and found the average percent increase in other Erie County municipalities was 4.55%. He believed Lancaster was unfairly singled out by the Governor and media. I agreed with him 100%.

    As I was unable to get information, except for number of Covid cases early in the pandemic to determine how safe I was in my town, I appreciate any information on what’s going on. There was no information being disseminated to the towns by the Erie County Health Department regarding hospitalizations, patients in ICU’S, or fatalities. The county is now providing information but with a stigma attached that portrays Lancaster residents as being ‘irresponsible / reckless’ – unfeeling and not in the real world according to Governor Cuomo. In my travels in Lancaster from mid-March to the recent shutdown, I have been shopping, dining at restaurants as well ordering take out, visiting Doctors, etc. and seen others masked, practicing social distancing, washing, sanitizing practices, etc.– not exhibiting ‘bad behavior’..

    I asked if Supervisor Ruffino could put running statistics on the town website to residents apprised of Covid impact in Lancaster. Ruffino declared the county has a link that provides that information. I declared that may be true but that residents would find it easier to use the town website.

    Such information was published on the town’s website today – under: COVID-19 Executive Order - Erie County, NY – Confirmed COVID-19 Cases

    https://erieny.maps.arcgis.com/apps/...162a1dfadc58e1

    Thank you, Supervisor Ruffino.

    Unfortunately, the county cite does not provide information regarding Lancaster resident hospitalizations, ICU patients or fatalities. Such information would be near impossible to relate considering Lancaster is a bedroom community where a large number of residents work outside its borders and bring the virus home, and that Lancaster has three nursing homes within its community as well.

    There is no justification to define Lancaster residents as irresponsible / practicing bad behavior

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •