BUFFALO, N.Y. — We're still trying to get some answers for you on some lingering issues tied to the COVID situation in Erie County.
For example, we're seeking more details on that still unexplained cluster of cases in the town of Eden. WGRZ has filed a Freedom of Information Law request in that matter in order to get answers for you including the actual location source and steps taken to handle it.
In the meantime, we have also been contacting the spokespersons for both Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein with interview requests.
So far they have not been available or we are told they will only hold a news briefing when there is an emergency or something specific that needs to be addressed.
This is of course a marked contrast from previous months but it is true that COVID-19 cases have obviously leveled off with a low infection rate as compared to the serious situation in the spring. The last news briefing we could determine was back on August 5.
But still some people felt that the Eden case did meet that need for more information. They also compare it to last month's cluster at the New Zion Baptist Church in Buffalo where the county did provide details and discuss what actions they were taking in response.
The oft-repeated county line on the Eden case is that it was contained and that the New Zion case required more contact tracing and community awareness.
The county and state health departments have announced specific response plans and testing for workers in the agriculture industry but no one has said there is any connection. Other such clusters have been reported elsewhere across the state with more information provided by county officials in those areas.
Again Wednesday, the Erie County Health Department responded to our call noting that they "have shared all the information they have to release about cases in Eden."
We would also have liked the chance to ask directly about the hiring of six new health department sanitarians and the process of the health department inspecting gyms for their reopening requirement. We have been told that 70 local gyms have requested such inspections so far.
Of course we are not the only ones asking for more details on county operations. County Comptroller Mychajliw, who is a Republican, has written a letter to request more information. And Legislature Minority Leader Joe Lorigo says they never got answers on overtime for high ranking county officials.
He raises these points: "We're still waiting on answers. We're waiting on answers from the health commissioner about actions that she has taken, about where her authority comes from. And I know a lot of people in Erie County are waiting for answers about what's going on with the county's COVID response that haven't really been given."
We also reached out to the Democratic Majority Caucus but they only said they are monitoring the situation and declined an interview.