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Allegany County responds in time of crisis By CURTIS W. CRANDALL and CARISSA M. KNAPP On March 14 a state of emergency was declared for Allegany County. This was done in conjunction with our public health director and as a response to conversations and meetings with the county’s school superintendents in dealing with COVID-19. It was an official action, not taken lightly, and properly done. Since that declaration many other directives, executive orders, interviews, articles, notices, press releases and announcements have gone out from our president, our governor, various departments and agencies — and other folks just wanting to help out. Some have been official documents, some letters to the editor and an awful lot of social media comments, both good and bad. Our positions in Allegany County government operations have allowed us to be involved in what seems like endless volumes of information from many varying groups and sources. Our governor, our congressman, our state elected officials, the state EMS group, the New York State Association of Counties, the Regional Economic Development Group, the state Department of Health … and the list goes on. Many of these entities have set up daily briefings by phone — some statewide, some regionally, some with hundreds of
Allegany County Board of Legislators Chairman Curtis Crandall is shown with County Administrator Carissa Knapp.
callers on the line at one time and many with just a couple of people at a time. We have concentrated on what is best for Allegany County, how situations are being handled in other areas of the state and how our actions can improve the outcomes for you, our friends and neighbors. Never in the history of Allegany County have we faced this type of situation. We have improvised and adapted beyond our typical emergency preparedness, usually storm-related. There are many individuals and groups who have gone way beyond their regular, everyday duties to help all of us in this extraordinary circumstance. And we have a long way to go. Our county Board of Health and the Health Department employees, our Board of Legislators, our administrative team, the Emergency Services personnel, our department heads and county employees have all gone out of their way to do what needs
stand as numbers change. We would also like to clarify that our E-911 Center is aware of the locations of the confirmed cases as well as those individuals in quarantine and isolation. If an emergency call is made from a location with a confirmed COVID-19 case or individuals in quarantine or isolation, that information will be relayed to our first responders. Our public health director and the Board of Health has taken these cases very seriously; these individuals are checked on daily and have been assured that their privacy will be kept. When someone has been diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus, there is an extensive investigation as to who, what, where and when contacts have been made over the past week to 10 days, depending on when someone’s symptoms began. We remain confident and stand with our public health director and the healthcare professionals she depends on as these individual cases are scrutinized. As the public, you should know that this virus is prevalent across New York state and across Allegany County. When you leave your home and go to areas that the general public visits — be it the grocery store, post office or other exempt businesses and service providers — you take a chance that you could contract the virus. This is why we have stated that we are battling a deadly virus, and it is
to be done up to this point. Our Office for the Aging has had a spike in homedelivered meals and the volunteers and workers in this program have been magnificent. Our Public Works Department and employees have been jacks of all trades, filling in as needed. Our first responders, healthcare providers, hospitals and nursing facilities have continued to care for anyone who needs help, and they are on the front lines as the virus moves through our county. We mention these people, as we are in awe and admiration at the way they have stepped up to help without complaint. As we go forward, we will continue to put the facts and information out to the public on a regular basis. We will update the known confirmed cases, the number of people quarantined and in isolation and other statistics that are relayed to us from confirmed sources. We will try to keep a familiar format and report in a way that is easy to underSee RESPONSE pg 2...
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First death in Allegany County due to coronavirus By BOB CLARK
BELMONT — An elderly Allegany County resident has died of coronavirus, county health officials reported Monday afternoon. “To protect the family’s privacy, the only information we are releasing is that the person was over 60 years old and had other health conditions that could have compromised their recovery from COVID–19,” said Lori Ballengee, public health director. The death is the first in the county, which as of Monday had 9 confirmed cases of the disease. “I can’t stress strongly enough that this is a community-acquired disease,” Ballengee said. “While we are protecting the public by isolating or quarantining exposed people immediately after we are notified, there are still things you can do. “We understand people are feeling afraid and powerless right now,” she added. “But you do have the power and control to protect you and your family as much as you can.” According to Ballengee, community-acquired means the disease is spread by respiratory droplets from infected people and on any surface as long as the virus is alive, so the first priority should be avoiding contact with others,
as well as washing hands and sanitizing surfaces often. While other counties have reported places where patients have traveled, including stores, Ballengee said that identifying a store or business where people may have been doesn’t help, as the virus is potentially everywhere and a list of locations could give a false sense of security that the virus isn’t anywhere else. Residents are advised to stay home unless they have an essential job, they need to make infrequent trips to grocery stores or pharmacies or to receive medical assistance. In Allegany County to date, along with the nine confirmed cases of coronavirus — and one death — 46 people are in isolation. County officials noted that there have been many questions surrounding isolation and quarantine (I&Q). “Isolation is the term used for containing someone in their home, or a designated area that is ill,” officials said in an update on Monday. “Quarantine is containing a person who is well, but has been exposed to a confirmed case.” The county health department has quarantined or isolated a total of 153 county residents
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