Your chance of getting COVID if you live in Schoharie County remains “very high.”
It would be worse: it could be “extremely high.”
That’s according to statistics gathered by the New York Times and reported by the state Health Department.
The seven-day average of new cases here as of Thursday was 10—the same as on March 23, though it’s gone up and down since then and on January 13, it spiked at 23.
Friday, the county reported five new cases for a total of 1,543; last Wednesday, April 14, there were 17 news cases and Thursday, 18.
Tuesday, there were three new cases for a total of 1,555 and one additional death for a total of 16.
The county’s seven-day rolling average of positive COVID test results remained at 4.4 percent Monday, pausing high-risk sports like football and volleyball; Tuesday, however, the state reported that figure had dropped to 3.9 percent.
The numbers remain a concern, Health Department Director Amy Gildemeister told supervisors Friday; after rising over Easter, they haven’t leveled off.
The county’s community transmission rate of 175 per 100,000—community transmission rate is defined as having no traceable source—“puts us in the ‘very high’ range,” Dr. Gildemeister said.
After “very high” comes “extremely high.”
“I know it feels like we’re substantially better and we are, compared to January, but we’re not down to where we need to be,” Dr. Gildemeister said.
“We need to make sure we’re not seeing the finish line off in the distance and not stopping the race.”
Dr. Gildemeister said she’s seeing a much higher rate of COVID in those 50 and younger and higher hospitalization rates; Thursday, five people were hospitalized with COVID, including some in very serious situations, with three intubated.
“We are really seeing some tragic situations,” she said.
If there’s good news, it’s that statewide, the increase in the number of cases has slowed, and here, 6,574 people have received two doses of one of the vaccines and 3,165 were fully vaccinated as of Thursday.
“That’s great progress,” Dr. Gildemeister said, as is the fact that the county-run clinics aren’t filling up as quickly as vaccines become more available at pharmacies and large-scale vaccinate sites like the one at SUNY Oneonta.
“Now it’s a matter of getting it into arms,” she said.
“All of you are leaders. If you can message that it’s really important to get as many people vaccinated as possible.”
Getting people vaccinated will make things like the Schoharie County Fair possible, she said.
It’s also a race against COVID variants that might not be as responsive to vaccines.
“The longer vaccination takes, the more risk there is of that happening.”
The Health Department cancelled a clinic last Tuesday after the one-shot J&J vaccine was paused over blood clot concerns.
The pause also means plans to vaccinate SUNY Cobleskill students with J&J on April 28 could be scuttled unless the vaccine is back on the market—and available—by then.
Schoharie Supervisor Alan Tavenner said he’s troubled by the fact that some people are traveling as far as Plattsburgh for their vaccinations—though others suggested those appointments were made before the shots became so available here or to “make a day of it.”
Mr. Tavenner questioned that.
“I hear all this talk about PODS [large-scale clinics]. I think it’s an education thing,” he said.
If that’s the case, it’s unclear what more the county can do, said Bill Federice, supervisors’ chair.
He promoted the SUCO clinic through half-page ads in the newspapers and on the local radio stations and the county uses reverse-911 calls to alert people who’ve signed up to the availability of clinics.