BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Erie County Health Department says lab results from over the weekend confirm 38 new cases of COVID-19 in the Town of Eden can all be tracked back to a single source.
“The Erie County Department of Health worked with the New York State Department of Health to expedite testing for a group of individuals, and their support allowed us to act quickly,” said Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein. “We took this approach based on our initial case investigation of several confirmed cases associated with a common site last week, which indicated the potential for a larger outbreak from this site.”
The investigation into the cluster is ongoing; but the Health Department says the risk of community transmission from these cases is considered to be very low.
“As we said when announcing the cluster of cases at New Zion Baptist Church in July, we will see more situations where a cluster of cases forms around a shared activity or location,” Dr. Burstein continued. “The individuals with a positive test result are currently in isolation, and their close contacts have been placed in quarantine.”
Health Department officials want to remind all Erie County residents:
- Stay home if you feel ill
- Wear a mask when you can’t maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and running water
- Avoid large gatherings
- Avoid travel to states listed in the NYS Joint Travel Advisory; if travel is unavoidable, quarantine for 14 days upon returning to New York
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces and objects
- Consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. These are available at no cost through ECDOH. Call (716) 858-2929 to schedule, or visit www.erie.gov/covidtestsites for a location near you. ECDOH recommends a diagnostic test for anyone with a recent travel history to states with a high level of community transmission, close contacts of confirmed COVID-19 cases, and people who have COVID-19 symptoms.