As the state’s Erie County yellow zone microcluster border creeps further south, Chautauqua County continues to report the lowest seven-day COVID-19 test positivity rate in Western New York.

According to results reported to the state Health Department through Wednesday, the latest day available, the county’s seven-day percent positive rate is 1.4%. That does not include the 36 new cases in Chautauqua County announced Thursday, though if the county did 770 tests on Thursday, 36 positive tests would be a positivity rate of 4.6% on Thursday.

Through Wednesday, Chautauqua County has the lowest positivity rate in Western New York at 1.4%. The next-lowest rate is Niagara County’s 4.1%, followed by Cattaraugus County’s 4.8% positivity rate, Erie County’s 5.5% and Allegany county’s 5.7%.

“As of the time of this communication no area within Chautauqua or Cattaraugus County has been identified as a focus area for the New York state micro-cluster zone strategy as part of the of the fight against COVID-19,” Todd Tranum, Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce president, said in an email late Friday afternoon. “Yet, we see some areas of Erie and Niagara County identified as yellow or orange clusters in addition to increased cases on the PA border. It is important that we all continue to step up our safety protocols and become knowledgeable of the micro-cluster zone strategy and what it means for your business and the community if it were implemented.”

For Chautauqua County to be placed into a yellow precautionary zone, it would have to have a seven-day rolling average positivity rate of more than 3.5% for 10 days or 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on a seven-day average.

The county could be placed into an orange cluster if it has seven-day rolling average positivity above 4.5% for 10 days and 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.

Chautauqua County would be placed in a red microcluster if it has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 5.5% for 10 days 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residents on seven-day average.

There are also conditions based on new cases in cities (five new cases a day on a seven-day average) or ZIP codes with fewer than 10,000 residents (three new cases a day on a seven-day average). Increases in positive cases that can’t be explained by a cluster in a single area or household transmission can place an area in a microcluster designation, as can an upward trend in total and daily hospital admissions.

CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY’S DAILY COVID UPDATE

The Chautauqua County Department of Health reported 16 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, marking 151 in the last week.

They include nine in the Fredonia zip code and one each in Frewsburg, Bemus Point, Dunkirk, Westfield, Gerry, Jamestown and Portland.

There are currently 141 active cases for those who continue to recover under orders from local health officials. There remains 12 people with COVID-19 in the hospital as of Tuesday, the latest data available, as well as 1,288 recoveries, 16 deaths and 1,445 total confirmed cases.

In Cattaraugus County, 35 new cases were reported Thursday evening. To date, 762 Cattaraugus County residents have tested positive for the coronavirus, of which 236 were considered active. As of Thursday, the Cattaraugus County Health Department reported 503 recoveries, 15 hospitalizations, 23 deaths and 439 in quarantine.

WARREN COUNTY, PA., COVID UPDATE

WARREN, Pa. — Warren County has seen a nearly 40% increase in COVID-19 cases this week.

On Monday, Pennsylvania Department of Health data listed the county at 111 cases. Friday’s data shows a total of 154 with 20 of those new cases announced in Friday’s numbers.

In response to the increasing case counts, the city of Warren has announced that the municipal building will be closed to the public starting on Monday.