COVID changes continue; county takes key step in Spring Valley: Rockland Angle
What will this week bring in the battle against COVID-19?
Rockland's COVID Dashboard on Friday showed a nearly 15% dip in active cases over the past two days, the first decreases in cases in weeks. There were 16,390 active COVID cases. Hospitalizations also decreased since Wednesday. On Friday, 139 people hospitalized with COVID; 101 of those patients were considered symptomatic for the virus. But there was also bad news: seven more COVID-related fatalities were reported in the county, bringing the death toll in the county to 1,057.
Late last week, the state said schools could ax formal COVID contact tracing efforts, although schools must still inform parents and guardians if their children have been exposed to someone who tested positive for the virus.
The state has issued an FAQ for schools that county health officials and district superintendents are still studying. This came after local superintendents asked for a path forward on tracing COVID cases in schools and mask-wearing.
We've already seen the state allow counties to stem contact tracing, and Rockland County Department of Health offer do-it-yourself isolation forms and issue this notice: "Due to the high volume of cases, the Rockland County Department of Health is unable to routinely contact all positive COVID-19 cases and contacts reported to us through lab-confirmed testing. Do not report a positive home test to the health department since it cannot be verified."
I hope that your Martin Luther King Jr. Day was meaningful.
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Nancy Cutler writes about People & Policy. Click here for her latest stories. Follow her on Twitter at @nancyrockland.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rockland Angle newsletter for Monday January 17 2022
