College to create new tracker

The State University of New York no longer updates a daily coronavirus tracker, but SUNY Cortland will establish its own, starting Friday, President Erik Bitterbaum announced this week.

SUNY Cortland will collect self-reported data from students and employees for a tracker to be updated on Fridays, Bitterbaum said in a letter to the campus.

"I hope this data will be helpful in keeping students, faculty and staff informed," Bitterbaum said. "Please keep in mind that the tracker will be an incomplete picture because the data is self-reported, but it could be valuable in identifying trends."

Human Resources staff will collect and report aggregated employee data into the SUNY Cortland tracker, he said. Students will complete a form in myRedDragon to self-report their data and inform their associate dean of their absence.

Three cases reported in Cortland County
Cortland County reported three cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, raising the number of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 12,333, the state Health Department reports.

Tompkins and Cayuga counties reported 49 new cases, the state reported Tuesday. The three counties have seen 55,548 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020. The number of people who have died from the virus remains 382.

• Three new COVID patient was admitted to Guthrie Cortland Medical Center on Monday, and one on Friday, the state Health Department reported Tuesday. The hospital had seven COVID patients. Since the pandemic began, 742 Cortland County residents have been hospitalized for COVID; that figure was last updated Sept. 14. The state Health Department reports 299,115 tests have been administered. The state has reported 128 deaths.
• Tompkins County saw 34 new cases Tuesday, the state Health Department reported. The number of confirmed cases rose to 24,438. The state reports 3,047,305 tests have been administered. Ninety-two Tompkins residents have died.
• Cayuga County saw 15 new cases Tuesday, the state Health Department reported. Confirmed cases rose to 18,777. The state reports 382,864 tests have been administered, and 163 people have died.

Cortland County at 191 cases per 100,000
Cortland County had 91 new cases of COVID-19 between Sept. 13 and Monday, giving it a rate of 191.25 cases per 100,000 people, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

It had a “medium” risk, under CDC guidelines. Under metrics and guidance from the CDC — which take into account the number of new cases in a week, the number of hospitalizations and hospital capacity:

• In counties with a “high risk,” wearing a mask in indoor public places is still recommended.
• In counties with a “medium risk,” people with symptoms, a positive test, or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should wear a mask. People at a high risk for severe illness should consult their healthcare provider about the need for a mask or other precautions.
• In counties with a “low risk,” no additional precautions beyond staying up to date with vaccines and getting tested if one has symptoms are recommended.

The rates and risk, from the CDC:
Cortland: 191.25 — medium
Tompkins: 163.44 — low
Cayuga: 155.40 — medium
Onondaga: 183.70 — medium
Broome: 154.87 — high
Chenango: 180.06 — low
Tioga: 184.64 — high
Madison: 126.87 — medium