And we want to begin this half
hour with updates on the pandemic,
specifically in a part of Western New York.
We don't typically focus on as much
should Taqwa county while not as
populated as Erie County cases.
There have also been on the rise
in recent weeks and months.
As of Monday the county had a percent
positive rate of more than 12%.
Putting the county in that high
risk category and here to talk
about that tonight it should talk
with County Executive PJ Wendell.
We're glad to be able to talk about.
What's happening and should talk
with county right now and we want
to start with the rise in recent
cases and hospitalizations.
What is the situation as far as what the
health department is seeing right now,
and how are hospitals able to handle it?
Well, Kate, it's it's a great question.
You know we're watching and
monitoring this closely.
You know, one thing I want to discuss,
you know we look at a 12% infection rate.
That does not mean 12% of our
population are currently positive.
With Kovid you know those are based on
the number of individuals were testing.
So I want to make that a little bit clearer.
So with 127,000 people were not looking at,
you know. You know we're 10,000
people with COVID are active.
Number of cases is over 700, alarming.
We're monitoring that, but again,
just a little clarity.
I did take a tour yesterday of our
emergency department I I worked
there years ago as a volunteer.
I'm I'm usually in and out of that
emergency department quite often,
and they are. They're at.
They're bursting at the seams, you know.
Contrary to what the the Buffalo News right?
In their editorial,
we're sending patients to Erie County.
We beg to differ. We we are getting more.
We have a a county in the North
hospital in the north of our county.
When they go on delay,
we're seeing many of those Northern
County Emergency department emergency
ambulances coming down the Shattuck,
but lower Chicago County or
the southern part to UPMC.
So we're seeing Cattaraugus
County coming when Olean's.
On a delay,
we're also seeing northern Chautauqua
County coming down to UPMC Chautauqua,
and since that hospital is affiliated
with UPMC HAMMITT and UPMC of Pittsburgh,
the likelihood of us sending our.
Are sicker patients to Buffalo.
Although it may happen,
it's usually unlikely to happen just because
our hospital systems are to the South of us.
That's not to say that Chautauqua
County patients aren't going north
on their own to seek treatment,
depending on where they live.
But again,
you know,
we're not sending our sicker patients,
you know,
to the Erie County hospitals,
as that's maybe thought.
You're still dealing with these higher
numbers and time and time again.
We speak with doctors on this show.
They're all recommending people get
vaccinated and those who have been
vaccinating get their boosters.
And right now should talk with county
is among the lowest in the region.
For those vaccine rates,
according to the States Vaccine Tracker,
nearly 59% of Chautauqua County
residents have gotten at least
one dose of a COVID vaccine.
Given that the cases are on the rise,
there's a new variant out there.
What is your message to unvaccinated
residents in Shattock account E.
County, well, you know what?
I had a great message from
a mother who shared with me.
She was concerned her daughters
of special needs and wasn't sure
what would happen should her
daughter catch COVID and they did.
They both tested positive before
Thanksgiving and the vaccine worked.
You know a doctor refer this
to me that we have to look at
the vaccine like a seat belt.
You know we're not saying you have
to get it by law as you do have to
wear a seat belt but a seat belt will
protect you if you get into an accident.
That seat well will save your life.
Now do people die wearing a seat belt?
Certainly.
Much like people may get the virus and
succumb to that that are fully vaccinated,
but it will serve its purpose and do
what it's supposed to and intended to do.
This mother shared with us that her
daughter had mild symptoms for two
to three days and they were well on
their men and both are doing much,
much better and wondering what would
happen had they not been vaccinated.
So yes,
we will hear the stories of the
what has happened in negative
respects to the vaccine,
but when I hear a mother sharing a heartfelt
story as to how the vaccine worked,
when I know if people my age in their
early 50s who succumbed to COVID,
those are tragic and we need to do it
and I have to urge my residents strongly.
Please get vaccinated.
Our doctors are sharing this.
There'll be new messaging coming out
from our department and the Health
department tomorrow or on Friday,
again continuing to urge our
residents to get vaccinated.
The vaccine is working and I know as
soon as I say that there are people
out there that will dispute this and
I'm sure my email will be blowing up.
But the.
Data that I'm seeing from the
science the vaccine is working.
It's not stopping you from getting COVID,
it's stopping you from getting
sick and the intensity of the
virus affecting each individual
with you talking about you
know your inbox blowing up.
I want to talk to you a little bit
about strategies because we've already
seen Erie County Re implement its
mask mandate for public indoor spaces.
That was just a few weeks ago.
We know that.
Certainly that's a controversial decision.
Is there anything being considered to
slow the spread in your county right now?
Whether that's a mask mandate?
Be another strategy,
and when you're dealing with this ride,
rise in cases that continued
vaccine hesitancy.
What kind of conversations are
you having about?
How do you manage that all?
Well, it's exactly your point.
We do discuss this daily with my
Coby team is how we manage that.
I think you know if you go back to the
governor's press conference last week
when asked by a reporter from PBS,
you know the the places the counties
that have mandates understand the Max
mandates and those that don't know
why they don't have the mandates.
It's a matter of of the the position
and even the governor said it.
People that have made their
decision have made it and it's very
difficult and her words were almost
impossible to enforce mandates.
So again, we're considering these
every day we're looking at at what
point in my team discussed it today.
At what point do we look
at a state of emergency,
but the state of emergency
doesn't stop any of our residents.
It doesn't change anything, you know,
states of emergency access.
You know things from the state allows us
to procure resources in a different manner,
faster, quicker,
but right now you know that the governors
declared a state of emergency and you know,
right now in our county.
We're going to monitor things as we see.
You know, the numbers rise and should
we have to change our strategy,
we will.
In fact,
we have a strategy we're working
on right now and we're discussing
and hopefully that'll be out in
the next day or two.
But you know, we are working together.
We're looking at a regional
approach to this as well.
I reached other county to
county leaders about, you know.
Changing and and haven't forcing
bringing on a new strategy.
Excuse me,
so we're looking at these things and
we're going to continue to look everyday.
This changes daily so you
know what happens today.
Maybe different tomorrow,
and we're going to,
you know,
focus on the safety of our residents.
I I want to remind people whether
it's myself County Executive
Palencar's County Executive McMahon
and Onondaga or McCoy in Albany
or Steve Neuhaus in Orange County.
Nobody has lost sight.
Of the safety of our residents,
you know,
we all realize we look at those numbers.
We see the death rates we see people
dying and we take that to heart.
Every single one of us.
So I don't want people to
think that you know,
we're we're changing focus and
we're looking at the dollar.
We're looking at this every day and
no one has stopped caring about
our residents and we're going to
do what we can to make sure that
they're safe and decisions we
make may not please everybody.
But we are going to do what we feel
is the best for the overall well being.
Of our counties.
And we appreciate your
voice in this conversation.
Should Taqwa County Executive PJ Wendel,
helping us explore the COVID effect
in that region of Western New York?
Thank you again for joining us tonight
joining us tonight. Thank you so much.