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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:1.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">a<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<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>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:115%"><span style="font-size:13.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">January 14, 2021<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">
</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>
<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:105%"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES STATEMENT RELATED TO NYS MICROCLUSTER GUIDANCE ENFORCEMENT</span></b><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;line-height:105%;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing the following statement related to enforcement of NYS Microcluster
Guidance. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">After consultation with our legal counsel, and based solely on the preliminary injunction issued by NYS Supreme Court Justice Henry J. Nowak
on January 13, 2021, ECDOH public health sanitarians will apply “yellow zone” criteria to all permitted food service facilities that are currently located in “orange zones.” Practically, this means all restaurants in Erie County will be able to offer indoor
dining at 50% capacity, as long as yellow zone measures including a maximum of four people per table and six feet of distance between tables are maintained. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">This action is only effective as long as Judge Nowak's preliminary injunction is in place. If an appellate court of law should rule differently,
ECDOH will follow such new judicial order.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Also, restaurants and bars must end on-premise food and beverage consumption at 10 p.m. pursuant to current New York State regulations.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">All permitted food facilities should be aware this action only applies to ECDOH’s enforcement of cluster zone regulations. It does not apply
to enforcement that may be taken against any entity permitted by the New York State Liquor Authority.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:12.0pt;line-height:115%"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">ECDOH public health sanitarians are continuing educational outreach to permitted facilities along with complaint investigations and inspections
as appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center;line-height:115%"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">###<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></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.</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>
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