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COVID-19 Coverage

New Isolation, Quarantine Rules Proposed

The state Health Department is proposing new rules for outbreaks of disease that include clarified isolation and quarantine procedures, including civil penalties for those who don’t follow the public health orders. The proposed rule surfaced late Tuesday after Rep. Chris Jacobs, R-Orchard Park, sent a comment to the state Health Department opposing the rule. “As this proposed rule is written, it could give local health officials the power to remove individuals from their homes and place them in a government-controlled quarantine facility if they are simply exposed to COVID-19 or ...

Weekly US Jobless Claims Up, But Remain Historically Low

WASHINGTON (AP) — Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits rose last week but remain near historically low levels, reflecting relatively few layoffs across the economy. Jobless claims rose by 23,000 to 248,000 for the week ending Feb. 12, the Labor Department reported Thursday. Claims ...

Estimated 73% Of US Now Immune To Omicron: Is That Enough?

The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less — if any — dramatic disruption to society. Millions of individual Americans' immune systems now ...

Jamestown Schools To Distribute COVID-19 Tests

The Jamestown Public Schools District will be distributing COVID-19 tests this week before the midwinter break that could have an impact on the statewide masking policy in schools. Superintendent Kevin Whitaker updated members of the school board Tuesday, sharing that tests will be going out ...

GOP School Face Mask Prohibition Fails

Unsurprisingly, state Republicans’ efforts to force a vote on legislation prohibiting state agencies from issuing mask mandates for children under the age of 18 was decisively dismissed by Democrats. A “hostile” amendment offered by Assembly and Senate Republicans to prohibit state ...

Rate Of New COVID Cases Continues Downward Trend

The rate of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Chautauqua County continues to drop, according to information provided Wednesday by the health department. The county did note that the information, including new cases and virus-related deaths, reflects the minimum locally as positive cases determined through the use of at-home tests are not always reported. For the week ending Feb. 12, the county reported 339 new cases, or about 48 a day. That represents the fifth week in a row that cases have trended downward and the first time the daily average has dropped below 50 since the health ...