TOWN
TOWN HALL
TOWN HALL ON THIS VETERANS DAY. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE
HERE WITH US.
I'M MICHAEL WOOTEN.
AND HELLO
EVERYBODY, I'M KATE
WELSHOFER.
WE LIKE TO START WITH
THIS PHONE NUMBER...
>>>
>>> WELCOME TO OUR TOWN HALL ON THIS VETERANS DAY, WE ARE GLAD YOU ARE HERE WITH US.
I'M MICHAEL WOOTEN.
>> I'M KATE WELSHOFER.
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH OUR
PHONE NUMBER, 716-849-2200 IS
THE NUMBER TWO TEXT US YOUR
QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS.
AHEAD THIS HOUR, SLOWING THE
SPREAD.
WITH NEW RESTRICTIONS NOW IN
PLACE ACROSS NEW YORK STATE, WE
HAVE AN IMPORTANT LOOK AT WHICH
COUNTIES ARE ENTERING A
DIFFICULT PHASE.
>> PLUS, WE WILL TALK ABOUT
THIS NEW RESTRICTIONS WITH THE
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER OF A
LARGE PRACTICE HERE IN WESTERN
NEW YORK.
>> AND TESTING FOR CORONAVIRUS,
WE WILL SHOW YOU A NEW TOOL TO
HELP YOU FIND A PROVIDER.
>>> FIRST, THE NEXT REMDESIVIR
SEARCH, IT IS HERE.
THE TRENDS ARE TERRIBLE ACROSS
THE COUNTRY, AND ALSO RIGHT
HERE AT HOME.
MANY OF YOU ARE WONDERING WHAT
WILL BE THE RESPONSE?
>> THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT CASES,
ALTHOUGH THE U.S. BROKE THE
RECORD AGAIN.
MORE THAN 100 30,000 NEW CASES
YESTERDAY, AS REPORTED BY THE
COVID-19 TRACKING PROJECT.
HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE ALSO
HITTING ALL-TIME HIGHS
NATIONWIDE.
ALMOST 62,000 PEOPLE ARE NOW IN
THE HOSPITAL WITH COVID-19.
WE HAVE NEVER SEEN THAT NUMBER
GET THAT HIGH, EVER.
WE ARE GOING IN THE WRONG
DIRECTION, AND THAT IS TRUE
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS CHART
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES.
WE ARE ALSO SEEING A DRAMATIC
INCREASE RIGHT HERE IN NEW YORK
STATE.
IN A MINUTE, WE WILL TALK WITH
A DOCTOR ABOUT THE DISTURBING
TRENDS, AND WE WILL DISCUSS NEW
MASK RESEARCH FROM THE CDC.
>> BEFORE THAT, WE WANT TO GO
OVER THIS.
A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT NEW YORK
STATE.
AT THE BOTTOM ARE ALL OF OUR
COUNTIES IN THE STATE, ARRANGED
BY NEW CASES PER 100,000
PEOPLE.
THE COUNTIES OVER HERE ON THE
RIGHT SIDE ARE DOING PRETTY
WELL, THOSE ON THE OTHER SIDE
AS HE GETS PROGRESSIVELY WORSE
REALLY NEED TO DO SOME WORK.
YOU CAN SEE WE EVEN HAD SOME
PARTS OF COUNTIES THAT ARE IN
THE YELLOW ZONE AND SOME IN THE
ORANGE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR COUNTIES
THAT ARE DOING BETTER.
WE PILOTED THEM IN LIGHT BLUE.
YOU CAN SEE CATTARAUGUS AND
CHAUTAUQUA COUNTY DOING BEST.
THEY ARE ABOVE THAT 10 CASES
PER 100,000 MARK.
COMPARATIVELY SPEAKING, THEY'RE
DOING OKAY.
ORLEANS COUNTY IN THE SAME
AREA.
WYOMING COUNTY IS AROUND 15,
SORT OF MIDDLE OF THE PACK.
THEN, WE GET TO THE REAL
PROBLEM AREAS.
KINGS COUNTY HAS BEEN IN
ORANGE, IT'S IMPROVING A LITTLE
BIT.
WE ALSO WANT TO DRAW YOUR
ATTENTION TO NIAGARA COUNTY
RIGHT THERE.
YOU CAN SEE, OVER 20 NEW CASES
PER 100,000 PEOPLE.
IT'S RIGHT THERE AROUND A BUNCH
OF COUNTIES THAT HAVE THE
YELLOW ZONE AREAS.
RIGHT NEXT TO THAT, THIS IS
GENESEE COUNTY.
EVEN WORSE, SURROUNDED BY THE
ZEAL OF COUNTIES, INCLUDING
ERIE, WHICH IS SLIGHTLY WORSE,
AND WE WILL HIGHLIGHT ALLEGANY
COUNTY ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR
SCREEN, MORE THAN 30 NEW CASES
PER 100,000 PEOPLE.
WE WILL BE WATCHING THAT VERY
CLOSELY.
SOME OF THE RECENT DATA STARTED
TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN
ALLEGANY COUNTY.
YOU HAD TO CONSIDER A LITTLE
BIT OF A LONGER TREND, SO WE
WILL BE KEEPING OUR EYE ON
THAT.
WE WILL COME UP AGAIN, SHOW YOU
ALL THE COUNTIES IN NEW YORK
STATE.
I THINK SOMETHING THAT IS CLEAR
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS IS THE
STATE AS A WHOLE IS DOING MUCH
WORSE THAN WE WERE JUST A WEEK
AGO, TWO WEEKS AGO, AND A LOT
OF OUR COUNTIES ARE ON THAT
SIDE OF THE SCREEN, WHICH IS
NOT A GOOD TRENDLINE.
YOU WONDER IF WE ARE GOING TO
START TO SEE MORE YELLOW ON THE
SCREEN, AND EVEN MORE ORANGE.
SOMETHING WE WILL BE FOLLOWING
VERY CLOSELY AS WE CONTINUE TO
GET NEW DATA IN.
>>> IS GET MORE INTO THIS WITH
DR. JOHN FOR EDEMA, CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER AT LATTICE
MEDICAL CARE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
HERE.
I WANT TO START RIGHT OFF WITH
THE BIGGEST HEADLINE OF THE
DAY, WHICH IS THE GOVERNOR HAS
IMPOSED THESE NEW RESTRICTIONS
INCLUDING PRIVATE GATHERINGS
LIMITED TO 10 PEOPLE, CLOSING
DOWN BARS, RESTAURANTS AND GEMS
AT 10:00 EACH NIGHT.
IN YOUR VIEW, WILL THAT HELP
SLOW THE SPREAD?
>> IT DEFINITELY WILL.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THERE IS
WIDESPREAD VIRUS GOING ON, AS
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW.
AND THE GOAL HERE IS TO REALLY
TRY TO REDUCE THAT SPREAD BY
SOCIAL DISTANCING, REDUCING OUR
CONTACT WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE
POTENTIALLY SPREADING THE VIRUS
WHO ARE ASYMPTOMATIC OR
PRESYMPTOMATIC, AND I THINK WE
NEED TO BASICALLY ADOPT THESE
NEW PRACTICES TO TRY TO SLOW
THIS SPREAD DOWN.
WE ALSO REALLY DO NEED TO PAY
ATTENTION TO THE BASIC
FOUNDATIONAL FUNDAMENTAL
PRACTICES OF WEARING A MASK.
IF WE CAN GET TO UNIVERSAL MASK
WEARING, WE CAN HAVE A GREAT
IMPACT ON DECREASING THE SPREAD
OF THIS VIRUS.
THE CDC JUST CAME OUT WITH SOME
NEW STUDIES THAT SHOWED MASKS
NOT ONLY REDUCE PEOPLE, REDUCE
THE AMOUNT OF VIRUS BEING
SPREAD FROM PEOPLE, BUT ALSO
REDUCE THEIR CHANCES OF GETTING
THE VIRUS FROM SOMEBODY ELSE.
IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT
EVERYBODY, AS MANY PEOPLE AS
POSSIBLE, WEAR MASKS,
ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE IN
SETTINGS WHERE THEY ARE AROUND
OTHER PEOPLE.
>> I WANT TO STAY ON THAT
MASTERS YOU FOR A SECOND,
BECAUSE HOW SIGNIFICANT IS
THAT?
NOT JUST IN WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT
THE VIRUS, BUT ALSO AS FAR AS
DEALING WITH HUMAN BEHAVIOR,
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE A
LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DON'T WANT
TO WEAR A MASK, THAT IS A VERY
POLARIZING ISSUE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
THERE ARE STUDIES AFTER
STUDIES, AND AS WE LEARN MORE
ABOUT THIS VIRUS AND WE START
TO LEARN MORE FROM OTHER
COUNTRIES ABOUT THE SPREAD OF
THIS VIRUS AND THE UTILITY OF
MASKS, WE ARE SEEING EVIDENCE,
BOTH FROM EXPERIMENT STUDIES,
AS WELL AS OBSERVATIONAL
STUDIES THAT MASKS DO HELP.
AND COUNTRIES WHERE YOU HAVE
ALMOST UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING,
YOU DO SEE REDUCED AMOUNTS OF
HOSPITALIZATIONS AND PEOPLE
WITH THE VIRUS.
>> AND WEARING A MASK HAS BEEN
ONE SMALL CHANGE.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE PARTS OF
ERIE COUNTY THAT ARE IN THE
YELLOW ZONE, WITH DOESN'T MEAN
A LOT OF DRASTIC CHANGES.
ENTERING THE ORANGE ZONE WOULD
BE A DIFFERENT STORY.
SOME BUSINESSES WOULD HAVE TO
CLOSE AGAIN, INDOOR DINING
WOULD BE RESTRICTIVE, AND
THAT'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS.
BASED ON THE INFORMATION IN
FRONT OF YOU RIGHT NOW, DO YOU
THINK WE CAN TURN THIS AROUND
AND NOT GO DOWN THAT ROAD, AND
MAYBE TO GET REALLY FRANK WITH
OUR VIEWERS, DO YOU THINK
WESTERN NEW YORKERS NEED A WAKE-
UP CALL?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
WE ARE NOW HEADING INTO THE FLU
SEASON AS WELL, AND THERE ARE
CASES OF FLU BEING REPORTED.
THE COMBINATION OF COVID-19 AND
THE FLU IS A DANGEROUS
COMBINATION.
IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING RIGHT
NOW, WE ARE GOING TO HEAD INTO
AN ORANGE ZONE.
WE REALLY HAVE TO COMPLY WITH
ALL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS
COMING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF
HEALTH, AND WE REALLY HAVE TO
DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF MASK
WEARING, SOCIAL DISTANCING, AND
ALSO OF HANDWASHING AND HAVING
GOOD HAND HYGIENE.
MAKING SURE WE ARE WASHING OUR
HANDS REGULARLY, AND IF WE
DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO WATER AND
SOAP, USING THOSE ALCOHOL-BASED
SANITIZERS.
THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT TIME
RIGHT NOW.
IF WE WORK TOGETHER ON THIS, WE
CAN REDUCE THE SPREAD IN OUR
COMMUNITY TO AVOID GOING TO THE
ORANGE AND HOPEFULLY NOT THE RED
ZONES.
>> FINALLY, JUST I WANT TO GET
BACK TO SOMETHING YOU SAID AT
THE BEGINNING, EVEN JUST THESE
LITTLE THINGS CAN MAKE A BIG
DIFFERENCE.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO MIGHT
SAY THAT JUST SEEMS RIDICULOUS
AND NOT LIKE A BIG DEAL.
IS THAT TRUE, THE LITTLE
CHANGES INDIVIDUALS MAKE CAN
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR ALL
OF US?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IF WE COULD ALL FORGET ABOUT
THE POLITICAL ISSUES REGARDING
THE MASKS, IF WE CAN GET TO AS
CLOSE TO UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING
AS POSSIBLE, THAT WOULD HAVE A
TREMENDOUS IMPACT ON THE SPREAD
OF THIS VIRUS HERE IN WESTERN
NEW YORK.
>> WE HAVE BEEN CHATTING WITH
DR. JOHN FUDYMA, THE CHIEF
MEDICAL OFFICER WITH LATUS
MEDICAL CARE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PERSPECTIVE,
THANKS FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> IS ALWAYS GOOD TO SEE DR.
FUDYMA.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE KEEP
GETTING ASKED ABOUT IS WHERE
CAN I GET A CORONAVIRUS TEST?
THERE IS THIS NEW TOOL FROM THE
ERIE COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
WE WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH,
BUT FIRST, YOU SHOULD KEEP IN
MIND THIS NUMBER.
IT IS NEW YORK STATE'S COVID-19
TESTING HOTLINE, IT 888-364-
3065.
YOU CAN CALL THIS NUMBER AND
GET ANSWERS TO YOUR TESTING
QUESTIONS, AND OFTEN THE STATE
RUN SITES HAVE THE RAPID
TESTING RESULTS, AND IT'S
IMPORTANT TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
ALSO, ALL OF THE STATE RUN
TESTING IS FREE.
YOU SHOULD CALL THIS NUMBER AND
SEE IF YOU ARE ELIGIBLE AND
WHAT YOUR OPTIONS ARE, AT LEAST
IN TERMS OF NEW YORK STATE
TESTING.
NOW, BACK TO ERIE COUNTY, THE
LARGEST IN OUR REGION.
THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IS PUT
TOGETHER THIS NEW INTERACTIVE
MAP.
EACH OF THE DOTS ON THIS MAP
REPRESENT A TESTING SITE.
THEY ARE COLOR-CODED FOR
DIAGNOSTIC, OR ANTIBODY
TESTING.
YOU HAVE THE TWO DIFFERENT
KINDS.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU WILL
NOTICE, WE WILL TAKE THIS FULL
SCREEN SO YOU CAN SEE IT, WHEN
YOU LOOK AT ERIE COUNTY, THERE
ARE NOT A LOT OF TESTING SITES
IN THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE
COUNTY.
THERE ARE BIG GEOGRAPHIC AREAS
ACROSS ERIE COUNTY THAT DON'T
HAVE ANY OF THESE TESTING
SITES.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ONES THAT
ARE AVAILABLE, YOU CAN CLICK ON
ANY OF THESE DOTS, WE WILL
CHOOSE THIS ONE, THIS IS ELMA'S
PHARMACY.
WHAT IT WILL DO IS TELL YOU THE
HOURS, MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY,
10:00 TO 2:00, IT WILL HAVE
NOTES THAT YOU CAN SCROLL AND
SEE DO I NEED AN APPOINTMENT,
IS A PHYSICIANS ORDER REQUIRED,
IT WILL TELL YOU BASED ON THE
COLOR CODING. IS IT ANTIBODY
TESTING, IS A DIAGNOSTIC
TESTING OR IS IT BOTH OF THOSE
THINGS?
SO, IF YOU SCROLL DOWN FARTHER,
YOU CAN SEE THE HOURS, I KNOW
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AS
WELL.
IF WE ZOOM IN, YOU CAN SEE THE
NAMES OF SOME OF THESE TESTING
SITES AS WELL.
YOU WILL NOTICE THAT SOME OF
THESE ARE RUN BY THE ERIE
COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
YOU CAN SEE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF YOUR SCREEN, THE CONVENTION
CENTER SIDE, I THINK THAT'S
ONLY ONE DAY A WEEK.
SOME OF THEM ARE URGENT CARE
CENTERS OR PHARMACIES, YOU ALSO
HAVE THE NEW YORK STATE SITES
WE MENTIONED WITH THAT PHONE
NUMBER.
WE WILL CLICK ON THAT ONE HERE.
YOU CAN SEE THIS IS AT THE
SABRES PARKING LOT RIGHT THERE
BY THE ARENA.
YOU CAN SEE IT:00 TO 6:00.
THIS IS OPERATED BY THE STATE
HEALTH DEPARTMENT, YOU DO NEED
AN APPOINTMENT, YOU DO NOT NEED
A PHYSICIAN ORDER.
AND THE WEBSITE SO YOU CAN FIND
OUT MORE INFORMATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S
IMPORTANT WITH THIS, AND ONE OF
THE THINGS YOU NEED TO KEEP IN
MIND IS COST.
WE SET ALL THE STATE TESTING
SITES ARE FREE.
SOME OF THESE OTHERS ARE NOT.
I WILL CLOSE THIS OUT, LET'S
CHECK WELL NOW URGENT CARE.
THIS ONE, AGAIN, YOU GET THE
HOURS, IT TELLS YOU THE
DURATION OF HOW LONG IT TAKES
TO GET RESULTS SO THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
IF THERE IS A COST ASSOCIATED
WITH THIS, YOU CAN LEARN THAT
THERE AS WELL.
THE POINT HERE IS YOU HAVE THIS
ONE-STOP SHOP, YOU CAN BROWSE
AROUND, FIND THE BEST TESTING
SITE FOR YOU, AND THE IMPORTANT
THING IS YOU NEED TO KNOW THE