Rapid testing sites drive regional increase in confirmed Covid-19 cases

On Monday, following a weekend of rapid testing brought on by that increase and an increase in the number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals, the governor chose an expression with more urgency.

"We need a real alert in Western New York," he said.

With the pandemic entering its seventh calendar month and with students returning to classes and buildings in many cases for the first time since March, Cuomo called on local governments to do more to ensure the region does everything possible to not return to a widespread lockdown.

"We're going to continue testing," Cuomo said. "But we need increased compliance, and we need the local governments to respond in Western New York."

The local actions could very well involve school districts.

The governor warned the transmission rate will rise as schools reopen next week. Cuomo said school districts would be "well advised" to look at Saturday's state-ordered two-week shutdown of in-person classes at SUNY Oneonta.

"It is inevitable that when you bring a concentration of people together, the viral transmission rate is going to go up," Cuomo said. "The question will become, like on colleges, how well did that administration actually enforce compliance, and what was their parameter for the number of students infected before the school takes quarantine measures, goes to remote learning, etc.?"

"The local government could close a school district, or the state could close a school district," Cuomo said.

He also predicted more colleges will be closed.

"If you don't do compliance and you don't do enforcement, then the transmission will go up and then the remedy is going to be more severe, which is going to remote" learning, Cuomo said. "It's a function of discipline and compliance."

The 3.1% positive figure Sunday from the rapid test sites was down from 3.4% on Saturday.

Buffalo's 4.8% rapid testing positive rate was down from 5.5% on Saturday.

But Sunday's overall testing showed a 2% positive rate, a slight increase from Saturday, with the infection rate higher at the eight rapid testing sites the state set up in response to last week's increases in virus infections in the region.

The rapid testing sites conducted 1,200 tests Sunday, according to figures released during Cuomo's conference call with reporters Monday.

That included a 0.6% positive rate in Erie County outside Buffalo, 4% in Niagara County and 1.4% in Chautauqua County. The sites will remain open until the end of the day Wednesday.

"Western New York still has a caution flag flying," Cuomo said. 

The state Health Department said there were 33 patients hospitalized – seven in intensive care units – as of Sunday in the Western New York region, which includes Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.

Both of those numbers were down one from Saturday, but the figures have been on a definite uptick in the closing days of August. Beginning Aug. 4, the region had fewer than 30 hospitalized Covid-19 patients every day until Friday, when the number jumped from 26 to 33.

In a tweet, Erie County Executive Mark C. Poloncarz said 27 of the region's hospitalized patients are in Erie County.

"By comparison, on August 22, there were 22 hospitalized in WNY, all from Erie. The other counties had 0 patients but now it's 7," Poloncarz tweeted.

These numbers are a far cry from those seen this past spring. Western New York hospitalizations peaked at 263 on April 28.

Poloncarz said Erie County confirmed 328 new Covid-19 cases last week, 53.7% of them in Buffalo. That was up from 310 cases the previous week and 229 two weeks earlier.

The county executive said 53 of Erie County's new cases last week were in people under age 20, up from 36 the previous week and 23 two weeks ago.

Niagara County Public Health Director Daniel J. Stapleton said Niagara County added 18 positive cases since Friday, compared with 21 the previous weekend.

"We continue to have a number in line with the trending we've had," Stapleton said.

Although the two rapid testing sites in the county showed 4% positives Sunday, Stapleton said the overall rate was 0.73% on Saturday counting all sites: seven positives out of 957 tests.

"I think it's important to look at the entire number of tests done for the county," Stapleton said.

He said the main statistical impact of the rapid testing sites will be that the results are added to a county's total more promptly.

He wishes the 15-minute results from the rapid testing sites could be a permanent feature of Covid-19 testing. The rapid testing sites in the region are scheduled to close at the end of Wednesday.

"If I could have one thing that would be a game-changer other than a vaccine, it would be to have the rapid Covid-19 tests available throughout Niagara County, the ability to identify people in 15 minutes rather than 5 to 10 days," Stapleton said. "That's 5 to 10 days to tell people, 'You're positive, stay home.' I'd love to have it in the schools once they start. I'd love to have it in providers' offices. I would love to have those machines stay in Niagara County long-term."

The five counties reported 4,200 tests Sunday, including those conducted at the rapid testing sites, said Gareth Rhodes, deputy superintendent of the state Department of Financial Services and a member of the state Covid-19 Response Task Force, during Monday's Cuomo briefing. The 2% overall rate was an increase from Saturday's overall regional infection rate of 1.6%.

Statewide, Cuomo said, Sunday's test results on 66,000 people showed 0.9% positives, an increase from 0.69% positives among 100,000 people tested the day before, which was an all-time record for the number of tests. There were 698 positives Saturday and 656 Sunday.

Cuomo said 418 New Yorkers were hospitalized with the Covid-19 virus Sunday, 109 of them in intensive care units. Both numbers were the lowest recorded since the pandemic began in March, the governor said.

One person died from Covid-19 in the state Sunday, which Cuomo said was "the lowest number we have ever had."

"New Yorkers have saved tens of thousands of lives," Cuomo said. "If New Yorkers did not do what they did, tens of thousands of more people would have passed away."