Broome Exec. Urges Vigilance as COVID Cases Increase Again

Along with the rest of the state and many parts of the country, Broome County is seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, prompting the county executive to hold his first COVID briefing in months.

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Jason Garnar reports while cases are going up, the numbers are not as severe as a year ago or even compared to the winter surge in January. The Democrat says Broome is averaging about 100 new cases a day while a month ago the average was 20 to 40 new cases. In January, during the Omicron surge peak, Broome was seeing 800 or more new COVID cases a day.

Garnar is urging residents to be careful during the Easter holiday to avoid driving the numbers even higher.  Residents are to stay home if sick, even if symptoms appear to be similar to allergies, and take advantage of free COVID test kits that are now widely available.

If you do get a positive result on a home test, you should report it to Broome County Health officials.  Information on reporting and what to do if you are positive or exposed to someone who tests positive can be found on the county website: www.gobroomecounty.com.

Broome County reports 458 cases in the past five days with 31 people in the hospital and another COVID death for a total of 505.

Acting Health Department Director Mary McFadden says people who test positive should quarantine for five days with day one starting at the onset of symptoms, mask and continue to mask for the full ten days.

She says people who are vaccinated and boosted who are exposed to someone testing positive should mask, take a COVID test at day 5 from the date of contact and continue to mask for days 6-10.  Again, information on masking, and what to do if testing positive or exposed to someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 can be found on the county website.

Free home tests are available at a number of locations including at the Broome County Health Department and libraries and some municipal offices . Groups and organizations can also request tests to distribute to their members by contacting Broome County Executive Jason Garnar's office or the Broome Office of Emergency Services.