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County Surpasses 5,000 cases; 4 More Deaths

Chautauqua County surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 over the weekend, according to numbers released on Monday by the county Department of Health.

The numbers, which include the reported cases from Jan. 8 to 10, indicate that 376 individuals tested positive for the coronavirus. There are now 715 active cases in the county. Hospitalizations, meanwhile, remained at 42.

There were also four new deaths. Based on previously released data, the new fatalities appear to be one individual in their 90s, two individuals in their 80s and one individual in their 70s.

There are 87 new cases in the Jamestown zip code. There are also 95 new cases in the Dunkirk zip codes, giving the city 159 active cases and 35 new cases in Fredonia, which has 79 active cases.

Jamestown now has 203 active cases. Mayor Eddie Sundquist had alerted the public that there had been several “clusters” within the city’s municipal departments that have added to the infection rate. While there still continues to be cases popping up in the departments, Sundquist said the new numbers appear to be mostly community spread.

“We do see a few spikes in our city departments but none as large as other clusters,” Sundquist said. “There is a larger community spread now. The more that you go and see other people, the more that you don’t social distance and don’t wear a mask,the more you’re going to see that community spread.”

Sundquist added, “I want to continue to caution the community that this is spreading rapidly. Need to continue to social distance, wear a mask and take precautions. Be smart because we’re getting loose in what we’re doing and we need to stay vigilant. Stay the course during this time.

According to New York state, the county has conducted over 4,200 tests. While others across the country are seeing a shortage in testing materials, local urgent care centers — operated by WellNow Urgent Care — do not foresee a shortage, according to a spokesman.

“We are not concerned about our testing supplies at this time,” the spokesman told The Post-Journal and OBSERVER. “We recognize that the current spike in demand may lead to longer wait times than what we strive for under normal circumstances. However, our staff is doing everything they can to see as many patients as possible during our operating hours. Additionally, we are aggressively hiring more staff so we can continue to see even more patients.”

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