Modified: November 9, 2021 4:28pm
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ERIE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROVIDES COVID-19 DATA UPDATE FOR WEEK ENDING NOVEMBER 6, 2021
ERIE COUNTY, NY – The Erie County Department of Health (ECDOH) is providing an update on COVID-19 data. For the week ending November 6, 2021, ECDOH received reports for 2,690 new COVID-19 cases among Erie County residents, a 22% increase from the previous week. Over the past two weeks, COVID-19 cases have increased 54%. Erie County’s COVID-19 case rate of 282 cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for the week ending November 6 is an increase from the previous week’s case rate of 232. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) set a case rate threshold of 100 or more cases per 100,000 residents in the past seven days for a community to be considered to have “high transmission.”
29.5% of new COVID-19 cases last week were among city of Buffalo residents. For reference, city of Buffalo residents make up 29% of all Erie County residents. This past week the ZIP codes with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 persons were: 14032 (Clarence Center, 39 cases), 14004 (Akron, 44 cases), 14031 (Clarence, 42 cases), 14043 (Depew, 103 cases) and 14068 (Amherst/Getzville, 27 cases).
About 46,000 COVID-19 test reports were received last week, on par with the previous week’s total. ECDOH and health care providers within Erie County still have substantial diagnostic testing capacity. People who are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, regardless of vaccination status, should strongly consider a diagnostic COVID-19 test. The New York State Department of Health maintains a list of testing locations. ECDOH created a list of community COVID-19 testing resources for parents and caregivers. Free COVID-19 NAAT tests are available through ECDOH by calling 716-858-2929 to schedule an appointment. Appointments are required for COVID-19 testing through ECDOH. Wait times for ECDOH appointment telephone line are longest in the morning. Callers may choose to call after 10 a.m. if they want to avoid a wait.
Last week, the age group with the highest number of COVID-19 cases were the 30-39-year-old age group. The age groups with the highest positivity rates were school-aged: 7.1% for 5-10-year-olds; 11% for 11-13-year-olds; and, 8.4% for 14-17-year-olds. For children under age 18 years, case totals increased by about 180 COVID-19 cases last week from the previous week, to 690 COVID-19 cases. These higher positivity rates may reflect lower relative numbers of tests in these age groups, and a higher likelihood that symptomatic children and adolescents will seek a COVID-19 test for return to school purposes.
The school team in the ECDOH Office of Epidemiology is managing a steady number of cases among k-12 students and school staff. Data for weeks ending October 30 and November 6 are incomplete* because official test reports are pending. And with COVID-19 cases pending for the week ending October 30, student and school staff cases increased 32%. This correlates to the increase seen in the age group of 18 years and younger.
With 168 COVID-19 hospitalizations reported in Erie County hospitals on November 7, 2021, the number of patients admitted to Erie County hospitals with COVID-19 has ranged from a low of 112 hospitalizations to a high of 168 hospitalizations over the past two weeks [See chart at end of release]. 112 COVID-19 patients (67%) were not fully vaccinated; 24 (69%) of 35 ICU patients were not fully vaccinated; and, 14 (67%) of 21 patients with an airway assist were not fully vaccinated. Vaccines work to reduce the risk of serious illness and hospitalization. The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) publishes statewide data for COVID-19 cases over time by vaccination status, and daily hospital admissions over time by vaccination status.
ECDOH is reporting COVID-19 mortality data. ECDOH received reports of 8 COVID-19 associated deaths in the past seven days. Total COVID-19-related deaths from March 2020 to November 4, 2021 now stand at 2,105, with 829 reported in 2021. CDC publishes national rates of COVID-19 related cases, hospitalizations and deaths by vaccination status at https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#rates-by-vaccine-status.
With data compiled by the ECDOH epidemiology office through November 8, 2021 and based on 2020 U.S. Census population estimates, 74.2% of Erie County residents ages 18 years and older received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, and 70.3% of Erie County residents ages 18 years and older completed a vaccine series. For the 16-17-year-old age group, 60.4% received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. With data available since last week, 2.1% of 5-11-year-olds in Erie County have received a first dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
Additional data, including vaccination estimates by ZIP code, are posted to the ECDOH web site. NYSDOH also updates vaccination data by demographics, by county and by ZIP code.
ECDOH has an active schedule of COVID-19 vaccine clinics, listed at www.erie.gov/vax. Clinics for 5-11-year-olds are listed at www.erie.gov/vax. ECDOH will also vaccinate any eligible Erie County resident at their home. Call (716) 858-2929 for the “Vax Visit” program. ECDOH encourages Erie County residents who are not fully vaccinated to begin their COVID-19 vaccine series. COVID-19 vaccination is especially important for youth and families attending school or child care. Third COVID-19 Pfizer or Moderna vaccine doses for people with moderately or severely immunocompromising conditions are available at any Erie County COVID-19 vaccine clinic. ECDOH also offers Pfizer booster vaccine doses for eligible individuals at all clinics that offer Pfizer vaccine. NYSDOH has further information about Pfizer booster doses.
Chart: Erie County Hospitalization Data, last two weeks (October 25-November 7, 2021)
Data for November 6, 2021 are not available.
Data Sources: New York State Department of Health and Erie County hospital
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- ECDOH, COVID-19 vaccine info & clinic schedule: http://www.erie.gov/vax
- ECDOH, COVID-19 Information Line: (716) 858-2929 – foreign language interpretation available
- ECDOH, COVID-19 Weekly Data Updates: https://www2.erie.gov/health/index.php?q=covid-19-media-data
- New York State Department of Health, COVID-19 Boosters: http://ny.gov/boosters
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