Coincidence or connection?
Farmworker testing announced several days after COVID cluster revealed in Eden.
NEW YORK STATENOW HAS ONE OF THELOWEST INFECTIONRATES IN THE ENTIRECOUNTRY.THE GOVERNORANNOUNCED TODAYTHE POSITIVITY RATEDROPPED TO JUSTPOINT-SEVENPERCENT.THAT'S THE LOWESTIT'S BEEN SINCE THEBEGINNING OF THECRISIS.NEW YORK'SINFECTION RATE HASNOW REMAINEDBELOW ONE PERCENTSINCE JUNE.ERIE COUNTY ISGOING TO BEGINOFFERING A NEWCOVID-19 TESTINGPROGRAM...SPECIFICALLY FORFARMERS.IT COMES AMIDGROWING QUESTIONS-- ABOUT A RECENTOUTBREAK IN EDEN.7 EYEWITNESS NEWSREPORTER ED REILLYIS ON THE STORY.IT IS A REALLY A GOODTIME TO REMINDEVERYONE THAT COVIDHAS NOT GONE AWAYAND WE WILL BEBATTLING IT FOR SOMETIMETHE ERIE COUNTYDEPARTMENT OFHEALTH AND KALIEDAHEALTH HAVETEAMED-UP TOPROVIDED FREECOVID-19 TEST KITS TOWORKERS AT LOCALFARMS ANDAGRICULTURALBUSINESSES.FARM WORKERS WILLPROVIDE A SELF-COLLECTED SALIVASAMPLE WHICH WILLBE SENT TO A LAB FORANALYSIS.IT HAS BEEN A HOTSUMMER AND THEYHAVE BEEN IN THEFIELDS WITH MASKS ONALL DAY LONGAREAS LIKE THE TOWNOF EDEN COUNTHEAVILY ON MIGRANTFARMWORKERSDURING THE GROWINGSEASON.THEY COME HEREUNDER A SPECIALFEDERAL VISAPROGRAM - BUT WORKAND LIVE IN CLOSEQUARTERS.DURING THEPANDEMIC .
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.IT IS UPTO FARMS TO TAKEPRECAUTIONS.IT IS NOT A CHEAPPROCESS FORFARMERS.
THEYHOUSE AND FEEDTHESE WORKERS.HOWEVER .
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THETESTINGANNOUNCEMENTCOMES LESS THAN AWEEK AFTER IT WASREVEALED THAT ASINGLE EXPOSURECAUSED A CLUSTEROF 38 COVID CASES INEDEN.SINCE VERY FEWDETAILS WERERELEASE ABOUT THECLUSTER - SOME AREWONDERING IF THETWO THINGS ARECOINCIDENCECONNECTEIT IS UNFORTUNATETHAT THE PUBLIC HASTO MAKE ANY TYPE OFASSUMPTION ABOUTWHAT IS GOING ONPERTAINING TO A COVIDOUTBREAKERIE COUNTYCOMPTROLLERSTEFAN MYCHAJLIWSENT A LETTER TO THEHEALTH DEPARTMENTSEEKING MOREINFORMATION.FOR SOME REASON,THERE IS A CLOUD OFSECRECY CLOAKINGTHE OUTBREAK INEDENWE HAVE A CLUSTEROF 38 PEOPLE.
38!
ANDNOBODY KNOWSANYTHINGCOUNTY LEGISLATOFRANK TODARO ISALSO PUSHING FORANSWERS.WE DEMAND ANSWERSBECAUSE OURCONSTITUENTSDEMAND ANSWERSEDEN SUPERVISORMELISSA HARTMANSAID SHE TOODOESN'T HAVE ANYMORE INFORMATION.I HAVE NEVER BEENGIVEN ANY DETAILSFROM THE COUNTYABOUT THE SOURCE OFTHE CLUSTERBUT .
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HARTMENTHINKS THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT ISWORKING IN HERCOMMUNITY'S BESTINTEREST.AND SHE HOPESPEOPLE DON'T JUMPTO CONCLUSIONSABOUT THE MANYESSENTIAL MIGRANTFARM WORKERS NOWIN THE FIELDS.WE ARE ALL AT RISKJUST THE SAME, ITDOESN'T MATTER YOURBACK GROUND, THECOLOR OF YOUR SKIN,OR THE LANGUAGEYOU SPEAK.THE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT TOLD USIT WILL RELEASE MOREDETAILS ABOUT ACOVID EXPOSUREWHEN IT CANNOT DOTHE PROPER CONTACTTRACING.
IN THE CASEOF EDEN, THEDEPARTMENT SAID ITWAS ABLE TO IDENTIFYAND NOTIFY THOSE INCLOSE CONTACT.
INTHE SOUTH TOWNS, EDREILLY 7 EWN
Coincidence or connection? Farmworker testing announced several days after COVID cluster revealed in Eden.