May 17
Cathy Wood of DeRuyter used to wear masks as soon as she got out of the car.
But she hasn’t done that in a while since the mask mandate was lifted by the state in February.
“I’ve got masks in my home and three of them in my car now,” she said Monday in front of CVS pharmacy on Port Watson Street in Cortland. “ I should put them on, I just, just get lazy.”
Now might not be the time for her to get lazy.
“We have recently been seeing as many cases in the community as during the first major spike, in late 2020 and early 2021,” said Dr. Christopher P. Morley, chair of the Department of Public Health and Preventive Medicine of SUNY Upstate Medical University.
Cortland County reported 108 new cases of coronavirus from May 10 to Monday.
The national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Cortland has 227 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week.
Under metrics and guidance from the CDC, Cortland County was listed as having a “high risk” of transmission. In counties with a “high risk,” wearing a mask in indoor public places is still recommended.
“As we closely monitor the numbers and as case levels remain high across the state, now is the time for every New Yorker to get vaccinated and boosted, test following exposure or symptoms, and stay home if unwell, even if you initially test negative on an at-home test. If you test positive, consult with your provider about treatments,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett in a news release.
“In our region, it is my professional opinion that we have not really been in a situation to drop masks indoors since last August,” Morley said. “While the proportion of cases that end up very sick is down, those getting sicker tend to be older, at risk for other reasons, or who have older and unboosted vaccination. It is still possible to get very sick or to pass along your mild case to someone else who can get very sick. For these reasons, and especially the latter, I still mask up when I am inside a public place.”
May 20
Cortland County dropped to a “medium risk” for COVID-19 transmission, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Thursday night.
Cortland County reported 82 new cases of coronavirus from May 12 to Wednesday. The CDC said Cortland has 172.34 new cases per 100,000 people over the past week.
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 — Cortland County was listed as having a “medium risk” of transmission. Tompkins remained a high risk and Chenango rose to a high risk, but Cayuga and Madison counties dropped to a medium risk:
- 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.
