Cayuga County has ‘low’ COVID-19 level, CDC says | Local News | Auburn, NY | Auburnpub.com

The county has a COVID-19 case rate of 148.87 per 100,000 people. New COVID-19 hospital admissions are 8.6 per 100,000 people, with 5.9% of staffed beds being used by COVID-positive patients. 

It’s a major turnaround for Cayuga and other central New York counties that had been ground zero for the latest COVID-19 surge. The surge was blamed on the emergence of new omicron subvariants. 

Until recently, Cayuga County had high COVID-19 case rates and increasing numbers of hospitalizations. But both are on the decline. 

When the CDC released its updated community levels last week, Cayuga was out of the “high” classification. For communities with high COVID levels, the CDC recommends wearing masks in indoor public settings. 

At the low level, the CDC continues to recommend staying updated on COVID-19 vaccinations and getting tested if you have symptoms of the virus. Masking is recommended if individuals test positive for COVID-19, have symptoms of the virus, or are using public transportation. 

The evolution of the pandemic has led to changes in how local agencies report COVID-19 information. The Cayuga County Health Department no longer reports active case counts or daily case tallies, largely because at-home tests are more commonly used and accurate numbers are difficult to obtain. 

The health department is continuing its vaccination efforts. According to the CDC, the county’s vaccination rate is up to 59.5%. Among eligible residents ages 5 and older, 62.6% are fully vaccinated. 

In addition to first and second doses, the department is also administering booster shots. So far, 57.4% of fully vaccinated individuals have received at least one booster. The vaccination and booster rates are highest among older populations. More than 80% of residents ages 65 and older are fully vaccinated, and nearly 79% of that group has received a booster shot.