MAYVILLE — Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel said he supports a regionalized approach to kick start the local economy that has largely been stunted due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Doing so will likely mean an increase in the number of county residents who get the COVID-19 virus.

Wendel on Friday discussed the plan, put forth earlier this week by state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, and state Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown. The lawmakers estimate that between 35,000 and 45,000 county residents are unemployed, and both have suggested to the state’s tax and finance commissioner of phasing in business openings by regions and business sector that are consistent with public health guidelines, the Centers for Disease Control and OSHA.

“I support this plan,” Wendel said during his weekly press conference in Mayville. “The other piece we have to look at too is the understanding that with the opening there is going to be a growing consequence. There are going to be more cases, and we need to make sure that those cases are understood. We need to make sure that all of our data is in place when we open this up and we’re ready to roll out the opening.”

“A regional approach is necessary,” the county executive continued. “We are not New York City. We do not have the caseload, we do not have the prevalence they do, but as we open up we need to realize there are going to be an increase of our cases. And that’s important to keep in mind.”

As of Friday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the county remained at 27. To date, 20 residents have fully recovered from the virus, with four cases still active and 60 people either in quarantine or isolation.

Three county resident have died due to virus-related complications, and of the tests administered, Wendel said 534 have come back negative.

Christine Schuyler, county director of Health and Human Services, said reopening local businesses will not be as easy as turning on a light switch.

“It’s going to be a slow and methodical process where we’re looking at the risk and the benefits of every operation,” she said, “and that doesn’t mean we’re going to be able to walk into a restaurant when it reopens and it’s going to look the same as it did when it closed. I fully anticipate there’s going to have to continue to be social distancing, so there’s going to be more space between people and there’s going to be fewer people gathering in areas for quite some time to come.”

Schuyler, meanwhile, said the quantity of testing supplies and ability to analyze those tests has increased locally. She said adequate testing is crucial because it “gives us the really true picture what is happening with this virus in our community.” Though, she continued, certain populations continue to remain a priority when it comes to receiving a test, including those hospitalized, those who are showing symptoms and those working in health care.

“Please use common sense and good judgement,” she said. “This isn’t a time to panic and to think that everyone has to find an N95 respirator or a surgical or a procedure mask. It really is not necessary. As my grandmother always said, keep your germs to yourself. That is really what this is about. It really means covering your nose and your mouth so that you’re not spreading your germs to other people.”

Schuyler praised the efforts of those in the community and organizations that have produced homemade masks.

“What that does for our community is tremendous,” she said, “because we have a very limited supply still of what we call personal protective equipment that is required for our health care providers and first responders.”

The public health director said the lack of a firm date to begin gradually reopening the economy is understandably frustrating. However, she noted when to reopen isn’t the question.

“There isn’t a good answer for a when,” Schuyler said. “The question really is how are we going to continue through this pandemic, and how we’re going to continue through is looking at this in phases. The first phase in any pandemic is really being able to have a good gauge of what’s happening within our own community. Now that we have more ample testing supplies, that will help us to get a really good idea of what is happening within our county.”

“I truly feel that all of the social distancing that people have been doing within this county is making a tremendous difference,” she continued. “We’re fortunate we’re a rural county — we already tend to social distance naturally compared to urban areas, and it’s something we need to continue to be doing.”

Asked about potential cases of the virus in local nursing homes, which have become a major concern across the state, Schuyler confirmed none have been reported within the county. She alluded to infectious control procedures that have been in place across nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the area, deeming many to be “excellent” and noting that many began restricting visitation weeks ago.