Cattaraugus County Health Department was notified of its sixth confirmed case of COVID-19. The reporting laboratory was Kaleida Laboratory in Amherst, NY.

A female resident who lives in the northwest part of the county with a travel history to Buffalo was tested for COVID-19 on March 23rd after being in contact with a COVID-19 positive co-worker. Her test result came back negative for COVID-19. However, shortly afterwards, she developed fever, cough and whole body aches and was retested for COVID-19 on March 29th. Her test results from the retest today, revealed that she is indeed positive for COVID-19.

The patient is resting at home, and now under quarantine with her family. She will be assessed for any medical support that we can provide and we will monitor her symptoms closely.

The department will conduct a thorough contact tracing investigation, for those individuals that she has been in contact with and the places that she visited.

We continue to ask our residents to bunker down, and avoid any non-essential travel, especially to areas where there is community wide spread of COVID-19 otherwise, you place your family and other Cattaraugus County residents at risk.

We would like to reiterate that if any resident experience fever, cough, shortness of breath or whole body aches they should contact their health care provider (avoid going directly to an Urgent Care facility, or the Emergency Room before calling).

Finally, wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. This is especially important after using the bathroom, coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.

If soap and water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains a minimum of 60% alcohol.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth, especially with unwashed hands.

Disinfect commonly touched surfaces with a cleaner that is approved by the EPA against COVID-19.

Please stay home if you are sick (at least 24 hours after fever ends.)

Questions or concerns, please contact the Cattaraugus County Health Department at 716-373-8050, or visit us at CattCo.org.