More COVID-19-related deaths have been reported at nursing homes in Chautauqua County.

According to data compiled by the New York State Department of Health, 18 residents have died due to complications associated with the coronavirus inside local nursing facilities. Of those, 14 were residents of Chautauqua Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Dunkirk; two were residents of Absolut Care of Westfield; and two were residents of Heritage Green in Greenhurst.

To date one resident at The Magnolia, an adult care facility in Frewsburg, also has died, according to information released by the state that tracks COVID-related fatalities and last updated Sunday afternoon. The data, however, does not include those who were transported from nursing homes or adult care facilities to the hospital and then died there.

The number of deaths, especially in nursing homes, has increased dramatically in the county. There were as few as three virus-related fatalities at countywide facilities at the beginning of the month.

The Chautauqua County Health Department did not release new COVID statistics Monday due to the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday. However, the state noted that Chautauqua County had 5,541 total confirmed cases, 117 more since numbers released on Friday.

“While we are encouraged as the numbers begin to come back down to pre-holiday surge levels, we still have a long way to go before we reach the light at the end of the tunnel,” Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in his daily COVID report. “Not only has the federal government opened up the floodgates of eligibility without increasing the supply of vaccine, now we are seeing new strains of the virus from the UK, South Africa and Brazil that could spark a second wave — yet the federal government continues to do nothing. If these strains hit, we will see our numbers go right back up. New York has used our experience from the spring to prepare our hospitals and our residents as we continue to fight this invisible enemy and it’s time for the federal government to follow suit – increase the vaccine supply, test international travelers and actually work with states to win this war.”

In Cattaraugus County, 21 new cases were recorded Sunday, marking 3,317 thus far, with 469 currently active. To date, there have been 2,780 recoveries and 68 virus-related deaths. As of Sunday there were 50 people in the hospital with COVID.

Meanwhile, the Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 in Warren County on Monday and three more deaths were attributed to the virus.

For the duration of the pandemic, 73 Warren County residents have died with the virus. Of those, all but one have been reported in December and January, with almost two-thirds (47) reported this month.

The data is published by the department as it comes in. The last two reported COVID deaths show as Jan. 15 and Jan. 10. Any deaths since that, and possibly earlier deaths that have not been confirmed as COVID-related, have not been added to the total.

Over the weekend, there were two deaths reported, but only 10 new cases.