For the first time since Jan. 15, and just the second since Jan. 8, the Chautauqua County Department of Health on Friday reported no new deaths associated with COVID-19.

The number of virus-related fatalities remained at 103, based on information collected by the county through Thursday.

However, that doesn’t mean none were recorded. The New York State Department of Health on Friday, which also releases new data from sources collected the previous day, stated that three residents of nursing homes in the county had died with COVID.

To date, and according to the state’s count, 40 residents of nursing facilities with the virus have passed away — six from of Absolut Care of Westfield; 21 at Chautauqua Nursing and Rehab in Dunkirk; nine at Heritage Green in Greenhurst; and four at Heritage Village in Gerry.

The discrepancy in how virus-related deaths are being released by health departments was the basis of a report released this week by state Attorney General Letitia James charging that the nursing home death count could be off by about 50%, largely because New York is one of the only states to count just those who died on facility grounds, not those who later died in the hospital.

“While we cannot bring back the individuals we lost to this crisis, this report seeks to offer transparency that the public deserves,” James said in a statement.

The 76-page report from a fellow Democratic official undercut Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s frequent argument that the criticism of his handling of the virus in nursing homes was part of a political “blame game.”

Cuomo’s administration confirmed Thursday that thousands more nursing home residents died of COVID-19 than the state’s official tallies had previously acknowledge.

As of Jan. 19, 12,743 long-term care residents died of the virus, far greater than the official tally of 8,505 on that day, cementing New York’s toll as one of the highest in the nation.

The report doesn’t offer many specifics on which nursing homes may have additional deaths related to the coronavirus.

The Chautauqua County Department of Health on Friday also reported 61 new COVID cases. That brings the total to 6,561confirmed to date.

Of the new cases, 14 come from the Dunkirk zip code, five in Fredonia and 16 in Jamestown. Several municipalities also reported between one and five new cases.

In Cattaraugus County, 31 new COVID cases were reported Thursday evening. To date, 3,703 county residents have been confirmed to have the virus, with 411 considered active at the moment along with 49 residents currently in the hospital.

There have been 3,218 recoveries to date, in addition to 74 COVID-related deaths and a seven-day positivity rate of 5.5%.

In the last week, Cattaraugus County has added 166 new cases and four virus-related fatalities.