Western New York sets another high in daily coronavirus cases

The five-county region tracked by New York State, which includes Erie, Niagara, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus and Allegany counties, reported a daily high of 1,135 cases on Thursday. 

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It was also a record day for the traditional eight-county Western New York area, which also includes Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties. The eight-county region saw 1,215 cases reported Thursday, surpassing the previous high of 1,208 reported on Nov. 30. 

The five-county case total broke the record of 1,102 set a week earlier on Dec. 3. It is the eighth time a daily high has been recorded since Nov. 5.

The five-county daily high during the pandemic's early days this spring was 274 on May 4, which stood until 334 cases were reported Nov. 5.

Since then, as the virus has spread exponentially in the late fall, daily high records have been set on Nov. 7 (425), Nov. 10 (576), Nov. 12 (699), Nov. 19 (852), Nov. 30 (996) and Dec. 3 (1,102). 

Nearly 60% of Western New York's total cases of the pandemic have come since Nov. 1. That applies to both the five-county total of 42,229 and the eight-county total of 45,106. 

The five-county region's hospitalizations have spiked since Nov. 1, going from 90 patients hospitalized due to Covid-19 to 537 as of Dec. 9.  

Thursday's record totals are a result of high totals across the region. 

Erie County's case total reported on Thursday was 761, 10 below the county's high of 771 reported on Dec. 3.

Niagara County, which has averaged more than 155 cases per day in December, reported 167 cases Thursday. The county has recorded more than 28% of its total cases (5,529) in the first 10 days of December. 

Cattaraugus County reported a daily record of 91 cases Thursday, breaking the high of 83 set one day earlier. More than 70% of the county's 1,670 cases have occurred since Nov. 1.  

Chautauqua County recorded its third-highest daily total with 86 Thursday. Chautauqua has reported 545 cases thus far in December, which is poised to soon become the county's highest month of cases. It had 600 cases in November.  

Allegany reported 55 cases, its third-highest daily total and its highest since it had 60 on Nov. 21. 

Orleans, Genesee and Wyoming counties, considered by the state part of the Finger Lakes region along with Rochester's Monroe County, have also seen rising cases in the last two months. 

Genesee and Wyoming have both reported more than 70% of their cases since Nov. 1. Orleans has reported 50% of its cases in the same span. 

Daily totals for the three Finger Lakes region counties for Thursday were 30 for Orleans, 27 for Wyoming and 23 for Genesee.

Note: After a review of the reported data, the Dec. 10 daily totals were changed from 1,160 to 1,135 (five-county) and 1,240 to 1,215 (eight-county).