Erie County provides COVID-19 update

Call center operational; 7 positive lab-confirmed cases

Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz and Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein provided an update on COVID-19 in Erie County at a press conference on Monday.

From test results from the Erie County Public Health Lab and the New York State Department of Health reporting system, four new coronavirus cases were confirmed Sunday. Those individuals include:

• A male in his 30s, with recent travel from New York City
• A female in her 30s, with recent travel out of state
• A female in her 20s, with recent travel from New York City
• A male in his 40s, with recent travel out of state

Three of these tests were performed at the Erie County Public Health Lab. One was performed by Quest Diagnostics, a commercial laboratory. The individuals in question live in Amherst, Buffalo, Elma and Orchard Park.

As with other cases, ECDOH epidemiologists have notified these individuals and placed them in mandatory isolation. They are identifying close contacts of these individuals and placing those close contacts in mandatory quarantine to monitor for COVID-19 symptoms.

A news advisory said, “We are further advising any individuals who were present at the following locations on the specified dates to monitor themselves daily for symptoms of COVID-19.”

Public Advisory

• March 4: United Airlines Flight Eagle United from Austin to Washington, D.C., #UA6028 and from Washington, D.C., to Buffalo #UA4810
• March 9: Amtrak Train 49, New York City to Buffalo with a midnight arrival
• March 10: Galleria Mall in Cheektowaga
• March 11, Noon-12:30 p.m.: Wegmans on Alberta Drive in Amherst
• March 12, approximately 6:30 p.m.: Aldi on Transit Road in Depew
• March 13, 7-8 p.m.: Rite Aid on North Buffalo Road in Orchard Park

If you develop symptoms, call your doctor for medical advice. The following symptoms may appear two-14 days after exposure.

• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath

The investigations for the cases reported on March 14 from Grand Island and Buffalo will continue through today. None of those individuals worked in occupations that had direct public contact, and their close contacts have been placed under mandatory quarantine to monitor for symptoms.

ECDOH will release additional guidance as it affects the public, as it becomes available through the investigation process.