COVID19 2021-01-22 COVID-19 Cases Increasing, Urging Public to Stay Vigilant

The Tompkins County Health Department (TCHD) is alerting the community to increased spread of COVID-19. Over the past seven days, 276 positive cases have been identified in the community, with 701 cases since the beginning of January. Additional data and graphs can be found on the Health Department’s website.

This increased spread of the disease is resulting primarily from household gatherings with family and friends, spread within households once one person becomes positive, workplace exposures and trainings, travel-related exposures, and in other locations where distance and density guidelines are not observed.

Several clusters of cases have been identified, including:

• A gathering at a place of worship where masks were not worn
• A daycare setting
• A law enforcement training event
• Two workplace settings

TCHD is urging the public to remain vigilant to stop the disease from spreading.

Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa stated, “We are starting to see vaccines come into the community, but our distribution is constrained because of limited supply. We will do everything in our power to vaccinate as many people as quickly as possible, but we do not have local control over supply or eligibility.”

Kruppa continued, “We do have control over what we do to keep one another safe – wearing a mask, keeping distance, and avoiding gatherings are still the most effective tools we have to stop the spread. Please know that when you take these precautions you contribute to the overall health and safety of our community.”

When the next batch of vaccine is delivered to Tompkins County, the Health Department will notify the public of scheduled clinics through multiple outlets, including:

• Tompkins County Health Department Vaccination webpage
• Press release to local news media
• Swift 911 alerts
• Email updates
• If you do not have access to internet, or have additional questions about the vaccine, call 2-1-1 (877-211-8667)