For months, Cayuga County has been considered a high COVID-19 transmission area by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But according to a new metric, the county is in a better position as cases and hospitalizations decrease.
The CDC created the community level “to help communities decide what preventions steps to take based on the latest data,” according to the agency. To determine the community level, the CDC uses new COVID-19 case numbers, hospital admissions and hospital beds used.
Cayuga County has a “medium” community level. Individuals with a high risk of severe illness should talk to their health care provider about wearing a mask and taking other precautions. The public is advised to stay up to the date with COVID-19 vaccines and get tested if you have symptoms of the virus. They can choose to wear a mask at any time, the CDC says.
The community level measurement differs from transmission areas, which are determined by case rates. Cayuga County has an average seven-day case rate of 126.67 per 100,000 people. The county reported 97 new cases in seven days. The seven-day average positivity rate is 6.06%.
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The Cayuga County Health Department said Wednesday that there are 59 active cases in isolation. At the peak of the omicron surge in January, there were 850 active cases.
Two residents are hospitalized with COVID-19, according to the health department. One death — a man in his 60s — was reported. It’s the 139th virus-related fatality in the county since the pandemic began two years ago.
With the end of the school mask mandate on Wednesday, the health department reminded the public to isolate when they test positive for COVID-19. The guidelines call for positive cases to isolate for five days. After the initial isolation period, they should wear masks and practice social distancing from days 6-10.
For school-aged children, they can return to school after the five-day isolation period. But they must wear a mask through the 10th day after their positive test or the onset of symptoms.
Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding.
