PLATTSBURGH — Tri-county health departments collectively reported 100, or about 18%, more COVID-19 cases over the last week compared to the prior seven-day period.
And on Thursday, following the trend seen throughout much of New York State, Franklin County’s COVID community level was elevated to high.
CASES BY COUNTY
The Clinton County Health Department posted 256 new cases Monday, all of which came from lab-confirmed positive results.
The Essex County Health Department said 205 new cases had emerged since April 25, while Franklin County Public Health reported 192.
Both those agencies include positive results from at-home tests shared with them by residents in their totals.
Health authorities have attributed increases in cases to highly contagious omicron subvariants.
COVID COMMUNITY LEVELS
More than half of the 56 counties with a high COVID community level are in New York State, and just a few lie outside the Northeast, according to the map maintained and updated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Clinton County’s level was increased to high April 21, and remained so Thursday as Franklin County’s changed from medium to high.
Franklin County previously had a high community level at the end of March. Essex County still had a medium designation Thursday.
Those in counties with high COVID community levels are advised to wear masks in public indoor spaces regardless of their vaccination status.
In medium areas, masking is recommended for those at risk of severe illness. Everywhere, the CDC advises people to stay up to date on their COVID vaccinations and get tested if they are symptomatic.
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HOSPITALIZATIONS
As cases have trended upward locally, so have hospitalizations in the North Country.
From April 1 to May 1, the number of COVID patients in hospitals located in the seven-county region increased from 42 to 62, according to the state Department of Health.
The number patients in the intensive care unit has remained more level, from four on April 1 to six on May 1, with a couple days in between where it hit seven.
At the University of Vermont Health Network, Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital, the number of in-house cases increased from seven on April 4 to 17 Monday, and from zero patients in the ICU to two, according to Sr. Marketing and Communications Specialist Chris Blake.
