Heritage Green P-J file photo

Additional cases of COVID-19 have been identified among staff and residents at Heritage Green, though most are not showing symptoms of the virus.

Lisa Haglund, Heritage president and CEO, confirmed Tuesday that 26 staff and 43 residents at the Route 430 nursing facility in Greenhurst have recently tested positive. At Heritage Village in Gerry, seven staff and 26 residents were confirmed to have COVID.

Positive cases were identified as recently as Monday at both locations.

“Just like a lot of facilities we were able to keep COVID out for 10 1/2 months,” said Haglund, noting that for most of the pandemic only a handful of virus cases had been reported at Heritage facilities in Chautauqua County. “Looking at the current cluster, it is still a small percentage of the total population.”

Haglund said less than 35% of staff and residents who have COVID are showing any symptoms.

The increase in new cases has largely come in the last few days. Last week about 30 total cases were identified at Heritage Green and Heritage Village; after a handful were discovered, rapid testing took place resulting in about two dozen additional cases.

The clusters are likely the result of “compounding issues,” Haglund said. That includes the recent holidays — Christmas followed by New Year’s in which employees were at home with family and friends — and with more COVID cases being reported at local schools.

“It’s going to keep spreading,” Haglund said of clusters across the county. “We just have to keep a close watch on it and keep it at bay.”

According to data compiled by the New York State Department of Health, two residents at Heritage Green confirmed to have the virus have died. Haglund noted that in many instances, COVID-related deaths in nursing facilities involve those with one or more additional conditions.

“It’s always heartbreaking when there is a death,” she said.

Three more virus deaths were recorded at Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center on Tuesday. To date there have been 17 fatalities at the Dunkirk facility, and 22 deaths at nursing homes countywide.

SURGE DIVERSON AT BROOKS

Another surge diversion was issued to emergency responders regarding the Brooks-TLC Hospital System in Dunkirk. It began on Monday evening and was to expire at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Officials at the city health-care facility noted that over the last few days, Brooks reported a steady number of inpatient admissions that outpaced inpatient discharges. It also experienced an increase in Emergency Department volume.

“The hospital worked with other facilities to transfer patients, as appropriate, and consulted with the (state– Department of Health to address hospital capacity. As a result, the (Emergency Department) was placed on diversion status late (Monday) evening to avoid additional volume while the hospital awaits inpatient discharges today and coordinates the care for patients currently in the (department), Brooks-TLC noted in a statement Tuesday.

It was the second diversion within a week for the facility. The first was issued by the Health Department on the evening of Jan. 12 and ended at 8 a.m. Jan. 13. Mary E. LaRowe, president and chief executive officer of Brooks-TLC, said during the first event, the the hospital on Central Avenue was at 100% capacity.

This most recent diversion, which was scheduled to end Tuesday at noon, was extended until 6 p.m.