PRESS RELEASE
With the Arrival of the Fall COVID Surge & Flu Season County Leaders Are Asking the Public to Renew Efforts to Starve Out Sickness
Cortland- the Fall COVID surge is here, fueled in part by the return to indoor activities, reopened schools and pandemic fatigue. The arrival of flu season could compound an already difficult pandemic.
COVID cases continue to increase in Cortland County; in light of the rising numbers the Chairman of the County Legislature and the Director of Public Health are asking the community to renew efforts to reduce the spread of the illness.
While the community did generally very well throughout the spring and summer, the recent rise in cases – no matter the source – means we need to focus more than ever on basic protections from the disease.
Many are tired of hearing about face masks, social distancing and hand washing. The fact continues that those measures continue to be our best defense against the spread of both COVID and the flu.
▪ Wear a mask when you can’t be more than six feet from someone
▪ Wash your hands frequently
▪ Stay away from large and small gatherings
▪ Limit trips to public spaces (grocery, etc.)
Cortland County Legislative Chairman Paul Heider says, “We are one community. Please do not point fingers at any one particular group and recognize that we all have a role to play in getting through this”.
In light of the increased numbers it is strongly encouraged that residents limit their non-essential day to day activities.
The Cortland County Health Department is aware that many people are letting their guards down adding to the recent COVID spikes.
Many of these cases reported mild symptoms including fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion and headache which is why Interim Public Health Director Lisa Perfetti wants to stress the importance of staying home when you do not feel well.
Colder weather means more gathering inside where there’s less opportunity for a virus to disperse and in turn increases the risk of spread. One of the reasons why the virus is so contagious is because people who get sick from it typically are the most contagious BEFORE they start showing symptoms. This means people can easily spread the virus without knowing it.
Cortland- the Fall COVID surge is here, fueled in part by the return to indoor activities, reopened schools and
pandemic fatigue. The arrival of flu season could compound an already difficult pandemic.
COVID cases continue to increase in Cortland County; in light of the rising numbers the Chairman of the County
Legislature and the Director of Public Health are asking the community to renew efforts to reduce the spread of the
illness.
While the community did generally very well throughout the spring and summer, the recent rise in cases – no
matter the source – means we need to focus more than ever on basic protections from the disease.
Many are tired of hearing about face masks, social distancing and hand washing. The fact continues that those
measures continue to be our best defense against the spread of both COVID and the flu.
Wear a mask when you can’t be more than six feet from someone
Wash your hands frequently
Stay away from large and small gatherings
Limit trips to public spaces (grocery, etc.)
Cortland County Legislative Chairman Paul Heider says, “We are one community. Please do not point fingers at
any one particular group and recognize that we all have a role to play in getting through this”.
In light of the increased numbers it is strongly encouraged that residents limit their non-essential day to day
activities.
The Cortland County Health Department is aware that many people are letting their guards down adding to the
recent COVID spikes.
Many of these cases reported mild symptoms including fatigue, sore throat, nasal congestion and headache which is
why Interim Public Health Director Lisa Perfetti wants to stress the importance of staying home when you do not
feel well.
Colder weather means more gathering inside where there’s less opportunity for a virus to disperse and in turn
increases the risk of spread. One of the reasons why the virus is so contagious is because people who get sick from
it typically are the most contagious BEFORE they start showing symptoms. This means people can easily spread
the virus without knowing it.
Perfetti says, “We all need to do our part to protect our family members, our friends and our community members.” A significant number of the recent COVID cases in the community are SUNY Cortland students but we are also seeing a significant number of non SUNY student cases as well.
Faith-based services, school settings, family birthday parties and small gatherings where social distancing and mask wearing is not adhered to are identified sources of recent spread in the Central New York area, including our county. Stay home when you can, go out when you need to but limit your contact with others by staying 6 feet away.
The ever increasing number of positive cases should serve as a reminder of the importance of personal responsibility to keep our families, friends and community safe.
Heider says “It’s those small parties, non-essential activities, unnecessary trips to the store, or just connecting with people you haven’t seen in a while that all create opportunities to pass the virus in our community.”
The Cortland County Health Department reminds the public about the importance of quarantining while you or family members are awaiting COVID test results or maintaining a quarantine period if you or family members have come into contact with a COVID positive individual. In an effort to assist with isolation and quarantine activities the Health Department asks that the community be prepared for the potential for having to isolate or quarantine. Preparing could look like this:
- Ensuring two week supply of: medications, groceries and cleaning supplies
- Identifying a friend, neighbor or outside family member who could obtain supplies you might need if quarantined
- Be able to report places you have been to and people you have seen to assist contact tracing activities • Have discussions with your employer about next steps with your job if you (or your small child) are required to isolate or quarantine
- Answer your phone so that the health department and the contact tracing team can reach you to review your instructions
Heider says, “Let’s work together as a community to get a handle on this before more heavy handed measures including closures are put upon us by Albany.”
