Cortland County reports 20 new COVID cases

Cortland County reported 20 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday through Monday, raising thenumber of confirmed cases since the pandemic began to 13,054, the state Health Department reports.

Tompkins and Cayuga counties reported 59 new cases Saturday through Monday, the state reported. The three counties have seen 58,982 cases since the pandemic began in March 2020.

The number of people who have= died from the virus increased by one to 407.

Cortland County remains low risk

Cortland and Tompkins counties remained a low risk of coronavirus spread, the federal government reported Thursday, as the risk in surrounding counties remained stable.

Cortland County had 31 new cases of COVID-19 between Dec. 22 and Wednesday, giving it a rate of 65.15 cases per 100,000 people, the national Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

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: 65.15 — low
Tompkins: 70.46 — low
Cayuga: 56.15 — low
Onondaga: 74.26 — low
Broome: 104.99 — medium
Chenango: 57.19 — low
Tioga: 62.24 — medium
Madison: 57.79 — low