<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
p.MsoHeader, li.MsoHeader, div.MsoHeader
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Header Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoListParagraph, li.MsoListParagraph, div.MsoListParagraph
{mso-style-priority:34;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
p.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, li.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast, div.MsoListParagraphCxSpLast
{mso-style-priority:34;
mso-style-type:export-only;
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:0in;
margin-left:.5in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-add-space:auto;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.HeaderChar
{mso-style-name:"Header Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:Header;
font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:1273245960;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-1857935468 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level2
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level3
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level4
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level5
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level6
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
@list l0:level7
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0B7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Symbol;}
@list l0:level8
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:o;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:"Courier New";}
@list l0:level9
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:\F0A7;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Wingdings;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="720" style="width:540.25pt;margin-left:-8.1pt;border-collapse:collapse;border:none">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:23.55pt">
<td width="720" valign="top" style="width:540.25pt;border:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:23.55pt">
<p class="MsoHeader" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="706" style="width:529.15pt;border-collapse:collapse;border:none">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:60.6pt">
<td width="706" valign="top" style="width:529.15pt;border:solid white 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;height:60.6pt">
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:solid white 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;padding:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><img width="276" height="106" style="width:2.875in;height:1.1041in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01D6A21A.26D08EE0"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:solid white 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;margin-left:27.0pt;margin-right:0in">
<p class="MsoHeader" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;padding:0in">
<b><span style="font-size:2.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
<table class="MsoNormalTable" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" width="684" style="width:513.0pt;margin-left:8.7pt;border-collapse:collapse">
<tbody>
<tr style="height:16.8pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:16.8pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">MEDIA RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:17.5pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:17.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:17.5pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:17.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">October 14, 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">CONTACT: Kara Kane /
</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:kara.kane@erie.gov"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">kara.kane@erie.gov</span></a></span><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
/ (716) 858-4941 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH ADDRESSES
<br>
RISE IN NEW COVID-19 CASES </span></b><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:17.5pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:17.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:115%">
<i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:115%">
<i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Epidemiology data offers transmission sources based on case investigations<o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-left:9.0pt;text-align:center;line-height:115%">
<i><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:17.5pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:17.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is offering an analysis on recent increases in new daily COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in Erie
County residents. </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ECDOH and its epidemiology team look closely at COVID test results and case investigation reports on a daily basis. For case investigations, contact tracers are
linked to a New York State system that allows the team to look for groupings or clusters within businesses, schools, events and activities that would require intervention beyond isolation and quarantine. The office of epidemiology also looks for patterns in
case data by municipality and in smaller areas as needed. Interventions by our Department might include targeted point-of-care diagnostic testing, notices to certain towns or neighborhoods to draw attention to a rise in local cases, or public announcements
of exposure in cases where close contacts cannot be identified and notified. <o:p>
</o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Each new case confirmed by ECDOH has a number of close contacts who have been exposed and may develop disease. And each day that large numbers of new cases are confirmed,
there are hundreds more people who have been exposed – each of whom has to quarantine and is at risk of developing disease. “A small number of cases can turn into a significant concern quickly,”
<b>explained Commissioner of Health Dr. Gale Burstein</b>. “That’s why the measures we are taking to reduce opportunities for COVID transmission are so crucial, and they have to continue.”
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">As for hospitalizations within Erie County and Western New York, past experience shows that inpatient numbers follow trends of new cases. As daily case numbers increase,
a proportion of those cases will be hospitalized at some point. Based on increasing numbers of new cases, hospitalization numbers may continue to creep up. Those hospitalizations are not just in older people. For the most recent data available for October
12, 18 of the 45 individuals (40%) hospitalized with COVID-19 in Erie County hospitals were under 65 years old. Dr. Burstein is in regular contact with partners at local hospitals on these points.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Factors that are driving new cases in Erie County include:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Asymptomatic cases</b> who transmit the disease without knowing they are infectious. A recent review by ECDOH of several weeks’ worth of cases showed that more than one-third of cases did not report having COVID symptoms.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Travel outside the area</b>. This includes individuals who return to Erie County from states that are on the NYS Travel Advisory list as those that are experiencing sustained community transmission of COVID-19. It also includes individuals who travel to
regional or national events, as those individuals may come in contact with participants from high-risk states.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Congregate living settings</b> and households with large families or college-age groups, and an unwillingness or inability to isolate or quarantine to prevent transmission within that household.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Group activities, social gatherings and organized sports</b> where participants are not wearing masks or distancing appropriately.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Access to testing</b>: ECDOH is working to expand capacity to provide diagnostic COVID tests, and these tests are offered at no cost. With support from NYSDOH, point-of-care testing is available for symptomatic p-12 students and symptomatic school staff
in order to get them back to school and work if they have been excluded because of COVID-like symptoms. But most diagnostic tests do not give immediate results, and health insurance companies’ reluctance to cover diagnostic testing for asymptomatic people
can be a barrier for testing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">-
<b>Prevention fatigue</b>: Recommended non-pharmaceutical interventions (wearing face masks, frequent handwashing, cleaning high-tough surfaces, physical distancing) have become part of many people’s everyday routines. Those behaviors have to continue. People
who disregard those recommendations, intentionally or unintentionally, are taking risks with their health and the health of those around them.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Erie County’s COVID response operations are working on all fronts to encourage preventive behaviors, protect vulnerable populations, identify new cases quickly,
break the chains of transmission, and prevent sustained community transmission. ECDOH is also planning for the reality of a winter flu season alongside a global pandemic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">#<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">For more information:
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc">
<li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">Erie County Department of Health, COVID-19:
</span><a href="http://www.erie.gov/covid19"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">www.erie.gov/covid19</span></a><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">Erie County COVID-19 Information Line – schedule a diagnostic test: (716) 858-2929<o:p></o:p></span></li><li class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left:0in;mso-add-space:auto;line-height:115%;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">Erie County COVID-19 Test Sites: </span>
<a href="http://www.erie.gov/covidtestsites"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">www.erie.gov/covidtestsites</span></a><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%">
<o:p></o:p></span></li></ul>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:17.5pt">
<td width="684" valign="top" style="width:513.0pt;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:17.5pt">
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:solid white 1.0pt;padding:1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;margin-left:9.0pt;margin-right:0in">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%;border:none;padding:0in"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"></span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> </span></b><b><span style="font-size:16.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height:23.55pt">
<td width="720" valign="top" style="width:540.25pt;border:solid white 1.0pt;border-top:none;padding:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;height:23.55pt">
<p class="MsoHeader" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:1.0pt;line-height:115%"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="https://getmyflushot.org/"><span style="color:blue">Make time to get a flu vaccine this fall.</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Kara Kane</span></b><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">
<b><span style="color:blue">|</span></b> Public Information Officer (Health)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Erie County
<b><span style="color:blue">|</span></b> Health<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">95 Franklin Street, Buffalo, NY 14202<br>
P: (716) 858-4941 <b><span style="color:blue">|</span></b> F: (716) 858-8701<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><a href="mailto:Kara.Kane@erie.gov"><span style="color:blue">Kara.Kane@erie.gov</span></a>
<b><span style="color:blue">|</span></b> <a href="http://www.erie.gov/health"><span style="color:blue">http://www.erie.gov/health</span></a></span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>