Archive: Around Town

That headline may seem scary, but when you look at the actual numbers they tell us that Tompkins County and Lansing have done a very good job enforcing measures that have curtailed COVID-19 in our area. Of a population of approximately 11,400 The Town and Village of Lansing only have a total of 20 people who have tested positive for the coronavirus when we checked Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) demographic statistics on the virus yesterday morning. You should also keep in mind that of the 206 positive cases reported county-wide as of Wednesday, 171 had recovered.  So while the percentages look high, the actual numbers are low.

Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) officials continue to insist on safety measures, including wearing masks, social distancing, hand washing, and so on, especially in view of the uptick in positive cases during the past week.

The Health Department has been keeping careful records of the spread of COVID-19. Overall there have been low numbers of county residents who tested positive for the virus\. As of Wednesday only 206 Tompkins County residents had tested positive for the coronavirus, out of a total of 21,637 tested. 69 test results were pending.

So far seven people have tested positive in the Town of Lansing, and an additional 13 in the Village of Lansing. As might be expected the City of Ithaca has the highest number - 58 - of positive results. The Town of Ithaca has the next highest at 52. There are 9 in Cayuga Heights. The Town of Dryden has 20 positive cases, an an additional 2 in the Village of Dryden and 5 in Freeville. When you take the total count of town and village statistics, Dryden has the most infections outside of the Town of Ithaca, and Lansing has the next highest positive results.

The lowest incidences are in Enfield and Newfield, with 3 positive cases each. The Towns of Danby, Caroline, and Ulysses each have 6 cases, with Trumansburg having an additional 1 case. Groton has 8 in the Town and 3 in the Village.

People aged 20 to 29 had the highest infection rate, amounting to 30% of all cases -- 60 positive test results -- in the County. The lowest number, 5 (8%) was in the age 0 to 9 age group. That group was followed by (lowest to highest) 10 to 19, 70 to 79, 50 to 59. 30 to 39, 40 to 49, and 60 to 69 age groups were tied at 31 positive test results (15% each).

On July 14th TCHD reported 10 new cases, and there have been several more since that time. of the 10, 5 were travel related, and another 4 were the result of a local Fourth of july celebration at which mask-wearing and social distancing were not practiced.

“The recent increase in positive cases in our community is concerning, we have to continue taking this virus seriously and doing what we can to stop it from continuing to spread in Tompkins County. We’ve all worked hard to keep our numbers low and to help protect our friends and families, we can’t let that hard work go to waste by not following the guidance,” Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa said.

The greatest number of positive cases -- 75 -- were in March, with 21 associated with travel. June saw the lowest, with 5 positives, 4 related to travel. White people accounted for 76% of all positives. Blacks represented 4.5%, Native Americans 0.2%, people of Asian descent 6.5%. 10% of positive results were from Hispanic people. These numbers were in line with the breakdown of demographics in the County.

Despite the low numbers county residents should not become complacent about doing what is necessary to keep the virus from spreading.  TCHD recommends these measures to stop the spread of COVID-19:

	Travel Advisory Information Tompkins County New York State

• Refrain from traveling to states listed in the New York Travel Advisory.
• Keep 6 feet distance between yourself and others when in public.
• Wear a mask at all times in public spaces, especially when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained. Masks and face coverings must be worn by everyone over age two at all times in public places when 6 feet of distance cannot be maintained. Fines are enforceable for individuals who are in violation of these regulations. Businesses must deny entry to anyone who is not wearing a face covering.
• Non-essential gatherings are limited to 50 people for our region, but must comply with distancing and face covering guidance.
• Wash hands well and often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid close and continued contact with other people not in your household.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces.

The Health Department also provides guidelines for reporting complaints related to reopening guidelines.

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