The Peru Gazette

As of Thursday morning, the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) is reporting 49 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 among Clinton County residents; 34 of these individuals have recovered and 2 have died. CCHD also reports 3 probable cases (lab-indeterminate) of COVID-19; 2 of these individuals have recovered and 1 has died. There are currently 42 suspect cases of COVID-19, of whom 28 have recovered. When considering current lab-confirmed, probable and suspect cases, CCHD reports 29 active cases of COVID-19 in the county.

During a Wednesday video briefing, Clinton County Office of Emergency Services Director, Eric Day, discussed how Clinton County law enforcement and municipal codes enforcement officers are helping area businesses comply with Governor Cuomo’s “New York State on PAUSE” executive order and how PAUSE complaints are being addressed locally. The full briefing can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qcx9Oc2VS_Q.

PAUSE has been in effect since March 22, 2020. The plan prohibits non-essential gatherings and provides guidance for essential businesses in regard to employee safety including what constitutes an essential business, workforce reduction requirements and social distancing inside the workplace. Details of the plan are available at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) website contains a web-page dedicated to PAUSE (https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/new-york-state-pause), where individuals can file complaints.

Mr. Day stated, “The County’s Incident Management Team receives PAUSE complaints daily and works with codes enforcement officers in the city, towns or villages where the business is located to follow-up. Local law enforcement address issues in regard to personal gatherings.” To date, the County has received over 20 complaints. Mr. Day noted that all complaints are addressed, however, he requested, “Please be as specific as possible. Although complaints can be made anonymously, vague information and lack of contact information make any complaint difficult to investigate.”
Another addition to the Governor’s Executive Order 202 that went into effect at 8:00 PM on Wednesday night, now requires workers at essential businesses to wear face coverings when in direct contact with customers or members of the public. According to Mr. Day, “The mask requirement has posed a challenge for employers who have had to quickly acquire masks or other face coverings and make them available for employees. We expect to see compliance but understand that some businesses, as well as their employees, are finding this difficult.” Employers who need information about where to obtain masks can reach out to the North Country Chamber of Commerce for information about sources.

To further control the spread of COVID-19, Governor Cuomo has also declared that as of this Friday (April 17, 2020), individuals out in public and not able to maintain a distance of 6 feet from others, shall wear a face covering or mask. This order applies to virtually all who may be outside their home. John Kanoza, Director of Public Health for Clinton County cautions, “Wearing a mask does not replace social distancing. Rather, it adds an additional layer of protection for certain instances where circumstances keep individuals maintaining a six-foot distance from each other.”
Guidance about mask use and simple steps for creating homemade masks can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website https://www.cdc.gov/…/prevent…/diy-cloth-face-coverings.html.

As of Thursday morning, the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD) is reporting 49 lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 among Clinton County residents; 34 of these individuals have recovered and 2 have died. CCHD also reports 3 probable cases (lab-indeterminate) of COVID-19; 2 of these individuals have recovered and 1 has died. There are currently 42 suspect cases of COVID-19, of whom 28 have recovered. When considering current lab-confirmed, probable and suspect cases, CCHD reports 29 active cases of COVID-19 in the county.