Erie County: COVID spread happening at summer camps

ECDOH says spread of COVID at summer camps is concerning.

TO WHAT WE SAW DURING THESCHOOL YEAR LOCAL LEADERS SAYDOZENS OF NEW COVID CASES ARETHE RESULT OF PROTOCOLS THATARE NOT BEING FOLLOWED.GOOD EVENING.

THESE CAMPCONCERNS... COME AS CASE RATESCLIMB EVEN HIGHER HERE INWESTERN NEW YORK.

IN ERIECOUNTY -- THE 7-DAY TESTAVERAGE HAS REACHED ATHREE-MONTH HIGH.

THE CASERATE ALSO MEETS THE C-D-C'SCRITERIA FOR "SUBSTANTIAL"RATE OF TRANSMISSION.

THERE ISSOME GOOD NEWS -- 65- PERCENTOF PEOPLE AGE 12 AND UP ARENOW FULLY VACCINATED.

THATINCLUDES 800 PEOPLE WHOCOMPLETED VACCINATIONYESTERDAY.BUT VACCINATION RATES ARE MUCHLOWER AMONG CHILDREN.

12 TO 17YEAR- OLDS CAN ONLY RECEIVETHE PFIZER VACCINE.

CHILDRENUNDER 12 ARE STILL NOTELIGIBLE TO GET VACCINATED.TONIGHT -- JEFF RUSACK TAKES ACLOSER LOOK AT THIS NEW SPIKEIN CASES -- AND THE EFFECTTHIS COULD HAVE ON THE STARTOF THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.WITH A MONTH UNTIL SCHOOLSTARTING, AND COVID-19 NUMBERSSTARTING TO CREEP BACK UP WITHTHE DELTA VARIANT... ERIECOUNTY LEADERS SPOKE ABOUTTHEIR CONCERNS ON WEDNESDAY.WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THESCHOOLS IN THE SUMMER CAMPSWHICH IS VERY VERY CONCERNING.DR. GALE BURSTEIN SITES MORECHILDREN MOVING AROUND ONEANOTHER, UNMASKED AND STAFFAND STUDENTS SHOWING UP EVENIF THEY'RE SICK.

WE HAVE SEENMORE EVIDENCE OF TRANSMISSIONIN THE SUMMER SCHOOLS AND THECAMPS THEN COMPARED TO WHAT WESAW DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.NOT SO FAST SAYS ONE WESTERNNEW YORK SUPERINTENDENT HESAYS THERE NEEDS TO BE A CLEARDISTINCTION BETWEEN SUMMERSCHOOL AND SUMMER CAMPS WHENIT COMES TO FIGHTING THESPREAD OF COVID-19.

I THINK WEHAVE TO BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT'SHAPPENING WHERE.

WE HAD AMEETING THIS MORNING I REACHEDOUT SINCE THAT MEETING TO MAKESURE THAT I CONFIRM THE NUMBERIS A LESS THAN A HANDFUL OFCASES HAVE BEEN TRANSMITTED INSCHOOLS.

THAT MEETING WAS WITHOTHER SUPERINTENDENT S AROUNDBUFFALO ABOUT THE SPREAD OFTHE VIRUS IN SUMMER SCHOOLS.THE SUPERINTEDENT INSPRINGVILLE SAID LAST WEEK 10CHILDREN TESTED POSITIVE FORCOVID AT A SUMMER CAMP.

WEHAVE NOT BEEN REQUIRING MASKSOUTDOORS AND SO I FEELSOMEWHAT CONFLICTED ON THEISSUE KNOWING HOW HAPPYEVERYONE WAS TO NOT HAVE TOWEAR A MASK OUTDOORS AND YETFACING AN OUTBREAK LAST WEEKOF 10 YOUNG PEOPLE.

WITHSCHOOL FAST APPROACHING...HEALTH OFFICIALS AND SCHOOLDISTRICTS LOOK TO THE STATEDEPARTMENT OF HEALTH FORGUIDANCE.

WELL HOPEFULLYBEFORE SCHOOL BEGINS ISSUEGUIDANCE FOR GRADES K THROUGH12 SCHOOLS SO WE'RE WAITINGFOR THAT.

JEFF RUSACK 7EWN.THE DELTA VARIANT NOW MAKES UP93- PERCENT OF ALL NEW