Brooks Memorial Hospital in Dunkirk.

Gov. Kathy Hochul continues to tout increasing numbers of health-care staff receiving vaccinations across New York since the mandate went into effect on Monday.

But close to home, there are growing concerns about staffing in the obstetrics department at Brooks-TLC Hospital System in Dunkirk.

Some of the reported 51 of the 573 staff who had not been vaccinated as of last week were tied to that department. Brooks-TLC officials would not offer comment on the situation one day after noting that visitor restrictions were going into effect on Wednesday due to a direct result of increases in volume, the new wave of COVID in Chautauqua County, and loss of staff due to the mandate.

During a rally at UPMC Chautauqua in Jamestown on Tuesday evening, similar worries were voiced for the major south-county hospital. Shaina Reynolds, who has been a nurse at the facility for 11 years, said she was removed from the worker’s schedule in the maternity ward as of Monday morning.

Reynolds told The Post-Journal it’s a “personal and religious” decision she has made to not receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. In her maternity ward department at UPMC Chautauqua, Reynolds said six others have been suspended for not receiving the vaccine.

As for the other county hospital, Westfield Memorial, a spokeswoman said: “Allegheny Health Network will fully comply with the New York state mandate that health care workers receive the COVID-19 vaccination. While we deeply value all our team members, and respect the rights of individuals to make employment decisions based on their acceptance of this new state requirement, we expect full compliance with the mandate among those who choose to work for AHN in New York and who don’t meet criteria for exemptions.”

Through Tuesday, the Hospital Emergency Response Data System noted 97% of UPMC workers had been vaccinated; 90% at Brooks-TLC; and 84% at Westfield Memorial.

In a news release Wednesday, Hochul said no health-care facilities across the state have been reported closed since the mandate went into effect. However, there is a growing pinch locally when it comes to staffing and the mandate.

“Our greatest responsibility is to protect our most vulnerable, and ensuring that the health care workers who care for our loved ones are vaccinated is critical to keeping New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said. “I am grateful to the facilities, unions, and health care workers who took important steps to prepare and protect New Yorkers, and we are working with facilities to ensure they remain operational. We will continue to monitor developments and work with stakeholders to troubleshoot any issues, and I stand ready to take additional action as needed.”

Hochul reported that as of Wednesday morning, 87% hospital staff were fully vaccinated, with 93% reported in Chautauqua County and only 75% in Cattaraugus County.

Also:

¯ The percentage of nursing home staff receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose is 92%.

¯ The percentage of adult care facilities staff receiving at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose is 89%.

¯ The percentage of hospital staff receiving at least one dose is 92%. In a news release on Wednesday, Hochul noted no hos

“Our greatest responsibility is to protect our most vulnerable, and ensuring that the health care workers who care for our loved ones are vaccinated is critical to keeping New Yorkers safe,” Hochul said. “I am grateful to the facilities, unions, and health care workers who took important steps to prepare and protect New Yorkers, and we are working with facilities to ensure they remain operational. We will continue to monitor developments and work with stakeholders to troubleshoot any issues, and I stand ready to take additional action as needed.”

102 NEW COVID CASES REPORTED

The Chautauqua County Department of Health reported 102 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday.

Fifty-two of the cases came from the Jamestown zip code.

There are currently 437 active cases of the virus in Chautauqua County as well as 33 people with COVID in the hospital, 1,284 people in quarantine and a seven-day positivity rate of 7.6%. To date there have been 11,938 confirmed cases, 11,320 recoveries and 181 virus-related deaths.

There have been 2,505 cases recorded in the county since Aug. 1. Of those, 48% involve individuals who are not vaccinated, 13% fully vaccinated, 6% partially vaccinated and 32% whose vaccination status was not known.

According to state data, 63.9% of the county’s population over the age of 12 have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine while 58.2% have been fully vaccinated.