Dr. Mary Bassett

New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett has announced she will resign on January 1.

In a statement, Bassett said she plans to return to the Harvard Chan School of Public Health.

Bassett, a former New York City health commissioner, replaced Howard Zucker a year ago, who had served as a holdover from Governor Andrew Cuomo‘s administration. She was the first major appointment to Governor Kathy Hochul‘s new administration.

Bassett was the primary official in charge of the state’s response to a resurgence of COVID-19 cases, an ongoing rollout of vaccinations and booster shots as well as efforts to respond to an outbreak of polio and monekypox, now known as mpox.

In a statement, Hochul said she is “deeply grateful” to Bassett for her service leading the department over the last 12 months.

Her departure comes weeks after Division of Budget Director Robert Mujica submitted his resignation to take a job leading Puerto Rico’s financial oversight agency.

Dr. Lillian Ney (photo courtesy of Jamestown Community College)

The Chautauqua County Board of Health President is expressing concern for the County Health Department with the departure of Christine Schuyler.

Schuyler’s last day as Director of the County’s Department of Health and Human Services was Tuesday, November 29 following Chautauqua County Executive PJ Wendel‘s decision not to renew her contract.

Health Board President Dr. Lillian Ney said she learned from local school district representatives who attended the Board of Health’s meeting Monday, November 28 that Schuyler was an incredible asset to districts in the county during the COVID-19 Pandemic, “The State Health Department was changing rules right and left, and guidelines right and left. It was very confusing. It was a dilemma. It was a tremendous dilemma. And she (Christine) had a calming and common sense of approach to it that the schools really, really appreciated. And as the time grew nearer for her leaving, they were reaching out and saying, ‘Oh my goodness. What are we to do now?'”

Ney said one of her concerns is that there are three major illnesses going on in the public health arena currently with the surge in Influenza A cases, an increase in RSV, as well as COVID still being an issue in the county, “And now we have a deficiency I say, I don’t know if that’s the right word. But we’ve lost two outstanding performers in the Health Department. One is Christine, because Christine is now gone. And Bree Agett, who was our epidemiologist, who is really outstanding as well, she’s now gone. And I just heard yesterday, much to my despair I guess I would say, that we’re losing another of our outstanding nurses.”

Ney added that it is difficult to recruit people to work for the Health Department and that she prays there isn’t another major public health problem, “You know, to recruit to the Health Department at that level in terms of Christine’s ability and Bree Agett’s ability in epidemiology, how are we going to find folks like that in the county? Thankfully, Dr. Michael Faulk, who is a great guy, is going to be chairing the department. I think it’s on an interim basis for now perhaps, but more than likely maybe more going forward.”

Wendel has said further details about the reorganization of the Department of Health and Human Services with the Department of Mental Hygiene are expected in early 2023.

Pictured front row from left are Marilyn Zagora, vice president of Academic Affairs at SUNY JCC; Cecil Miller, vice president of operations at UPMC Chautauqua; and Brian Wilcox, program director at UPMC Chautauqua. Back Row from left Lillian Vitanza Ney, board member and chair of educational services committee at JCC; Ellen Lehning, professor and advisor for the JCC-UPMC Paramedic Agreement; Daniel DeMarte, president of SUNY JCC; Rob Smith, JCC adjunct instructor, Emergency Medical Technology; David Thomas, executive director at WCA services; Kathleen Whitmore, adjunct instructor, Personal Health and Safety at JCC.

Jamestown Community College and UPMC Chautauqua have signed an agreement to create a paramedicine program at the college.

The partnership will provide students the opportunity to earn 30 credits each from JCC and the UPMC Regional Paramedic program. Students who complete the JCC-UPMC program will earn New York State Health Department emergency medical technician certification and an Associate in Applied Science in Individual Studies from JCC.

UPMC Paramedic Program Director Brian Wilcox said the need nationwide for paramedics is critical, “We’re the youngest when you look at the history of the medical field. Paramedics were started to be certified in 1970, so it’s 52 years if my math is right. So, we don’t have the same reputation or normalcy as the nurses and LPN’s have, so we’ve always run a little bit behind the rest of them.”

JCC Biology professor Dr. Ellen Lehning said she’s already seen interest in the program, “But now, they can not only receive their certification and be able to provide that kind of care, but they can also receive a college degree. And we’re also hoping that students who might not feel that they can start right in in paramedicine or want to get their feet wet, we have a series of courses to lead them in paramedicine. So, they can check it out and grow within the field.”

The paramedicine program courses can be completed on the Jamestown Campus, a combination of the Jamestown Campus and online, or a combination of the Jamestown Campus, Cattaraugus County Campus, and online.

For more information, visit sunyjcc.edu/programs/partnerships/paramedic-upmc

WRFA’s Julia Ciesla-Hanley spoke with State Senator George Borrello about the 2022-23 New York State Budget, his lawsuit against Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Health Department, and more.

George Borrello

In January, WRFA filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the New York State Health Department, seeking the total number of deaths recorded for each of the five counties in Western New York for the 12-year period covering 2010 through 2021. A chart including all the data is provided below.

The preliminary data shows the total number of deaths in Western New York was 16,876 for 2021, the highest from any of the 12 years covered in the request. The second highest total was in 2020, when the total number of deaths was 16,741. The third highest total was 15,054 and reported in the non-pandemic year of 2018.

When the 2020 total deaths for the region (16,741) are compared to the average total deaths during the previous three years (14,910), there was an 11% increase. For 2021, the total (16,876) was up over 8% compared to the previous three-year average (15,508), but that average includes the pandemic year of 2020.  But when compared to the average for the three previous non-pandemic years, the increase was 11.6%.

Locally in Chautauqua County, 2021 had the highest total number of deaths during the 12-year period under review. There were 1496 deaths reported for Chautauqua County in 2021, a 16.4% increase over the previous three-year average (1250.7). The preliminary total for the county in 2020 was noticeably lower than 2021 and came in at 1255.

For each of the other four counties in Western New York, the highest death totals also occurred in either 2020 or 2021, suggesting that the pandemic has resulted in higher death totals compared to other recent non-pandemic years.

• Cattaraugus County saw the sharpest increase of any of the five counties in 2021 with 964 deaths reported. That was 21.5% higher than the previous three-year average (756.3).
• Allegany County saw its highest total in 2020 with 456 deaths reported. That was 10.75% higher than the previous three-year average (407).
• Erie County also saw its highest total in 2020 with 11,885 deaths reported. That was nearly 12% higher than the previous three-year average (10,485.3).
• Niagara County saw its highest total in 2020 with 2358 deaths, 15% higher than the previous three-year average (2003).

The total deaths for each year are represented by the number of death certificates issued in each county. According to the state health officials, the data for 2020 and 2021 is based on provisional death certificate information and is subject to change. Officials say the data does not include deaths for residents these counties which occurred in NYC or out of state (such as nearby Pennsylvania), and is potentially underestimated across all years.

George Borrello

State Senator George Borrello is part of a lawsuit filed in State Supreme Court challenging the underlying authority of a universal mask mandate for public and private schools. Governor Kathy Hochul and the State Health Department delivered the universal mask mandate for students, teachers and staff in Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12 in late August 2021.

Borrello said the regulation was adopted as an emergency measure, “despite the Department of Health’s failure to comply with lawful procedure for emergency adoption of regulations.” He said the Health Department exceeded its authority and is “attempting to override the judgement of parents.”

Jamestown Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Kevin Whitaker said the district is moving forward with having school open for in-person instruction. He said the three-foot minimal distancing allows them to bring back students full-time, “The Governor via the Health Department, the New York State Health Department, has issued a mask mandate. And that mask mandate has the force of law from the Department of Health that essentially says all people who are inside a school building, inside specifically, must wear masks. It’s called universal masking.”

Dr. Whitaker said while the state didn’t provide any guidance on “mask breaks,” local districts are expecting guidance from the Chautauqua County Health Department, “Which is similar to last year – at least a five minute break, every hour. There are plans in place. It works differently at elementary and secondary where if students are more than 6-feet apart, you can take a five minute break and then rotate kind of through the class so that not everyone is maskless through the entire mask break.”

Jamestown School Board President and retired Jamestown Police Lieutenant Paul Abbott asked people to be mindful that there will be students on sidewalks and streets in the early morning hours and then again in the afternoon “It’s something we’re certainly not used to for quite awhile now, so we ask everyone to be a lot more diligent and a lot more cautious during those hours and periods. And encourage your kids to keep their eyes wide open while they’re out there especially until they get used to their routines.”

Jamestown Police Chief Tim Jackson also gave advice for students headed back to school, “Kids should not cross between cars. Always use a cross walk. If you need help, run to the nearest adult or call the police if you have that option. Also, if someone is following you, an adult, or you need help, run to a house or an adult.”

Jackson cautioned motorists to be aware, “The school zone limit is enforced. It’s 20 miles per hour around school zones, so we ask that the public abide by that. It’s very dangerous with little children out, so be careful.”

He noted that when following or approaching a school bus that has its red flashing lights on, that all motorists are required by law to stop.

Jamestown Community College

JCC shifted to remote operations in March 2020 and began the 2020-21 academic year in August using a flexible instructional format that has included online, hybrid, and in-person courses.
Additionally, all three residence halls on the Jamestown Campus will be accepting residents. The college will also aim to resume athletic events, club activities, and academic out-of-class experiences in accordance with the health and safety protocols.

DeMarte added that two new staff members will be added to help students navigate the on-boarding, registration, and start-of-the-semester processes.

April 26, 2020- Albany, NY- Governor Andrew Cuomo delivers his daily press briefing on COVID-19, Coronavirus (Darren McGee- Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo)

Governor Andrew Cuomo reported Sunday that there were 8,130 additional confirmed cases of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus in New York State, bringing the statewide total to 271,590 confirmed cases since the pandemic began.

Many of those cases have since recovered, though a specific recovery number has not been provided. 

The governor also announced on Sunday that the daily death toll has dropped to below 400 for this first time this month, with 367 deaths reported for Saturday. While he said the daily death count remains “horrific” it was still less than half the nearly 800 deaths that occurred in a single day during the pandemic’s peak in the state.

As of Sunday there were 16,966 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in New York State. The total for the United States is now at 55,000.

Cuomo also reported that the number of hospitalizations and the number of individuals put on a ventilator had dropped as well.

COUNTY SEES TWO NEW CASES, FOUR CASES REMAIN ‘ACTIVE’

Meanwhile in Chautauqua County there are now 4 known active COVID-19 cases.

After reporting no new cases on Friday, County health officials said there were two new confirmed cases added over the weekend – one case involving a male in his 70s and the other case involving a female in her 60s.

The two new cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in the county to 31, with 24 of them since recovered.

There has also been three deaths attributed to COVID-19, though County Health Commissioner Christine Schuyler on Friday said during the county’s weekly COVID-19 press conference that there was an “up-tick” in the number of pneumonia-related deaths for Chautauqua County at the end of March.

“I honestly and personally think it’s very possible that it has been here, and it’s been here longer than anyone has probably thought it had been,” Schuyler said, adding that health officials did see a lot of “influenza-like illness” that later tested negative for influenza throughout the course of the flu season.

There are also currently a total of 42 cases under quarantine/isolation orders by the Public Health Director and being monitored. That is a significant drop from just two days earlier on Friday, when health officials said there were 72 individuals in quarantine/isolation.  Not all of those being monitored are confirmed to have COVID-19 but have either shown symptoms, are awaiting results, or have risk factors.

There’s also been 731 negative test results to date in Chautauqua County. In all, just 0.6% of the county’s estimated population of 130,000 people have been tested.

To the east over in Cattaraugus County, health officials there reported that there was a second death of a resident due to COVID-19 related complications. Health officials said he was a 44-year-old male “with extensive underlying health conditions who developed sudden respiratory failure and was unable to overcome his illness despite aggressive medical treatment.”

The total number of confirmed cases in Cattaraugus County was at 35 as of Friday afternoon.

To the north in Erie County, New York, the state health department reports a total of 2,603 confirmed cases since the pandemic began, with 153 new cases announced on Sunday. Over 200 people have been confirmed as dying from the novel coronavirus in Erie County since the pandemic began.

• AUDIO ALSO AVAILABLE AT SOUNDCLOUD

MAYVILLE – Chautauqua County Health commissioner Christine Schuyler said as of Thursday afternoon, there remains no confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) in Chautauqua County.

Schuyler provided the update during a special news conference Thursday in Mayville, with both County Executive PJ Wendel and County Physician Dr. Robert Berke also in attendance.

Schuyler added that 35 people are now in precautionary quarantine. That’s 32 more than who were in precautionary quarantine at the start of this week. She also said that the limited number of testing that has been done has come back negative, although the county is still awaiting the results of 35 other tests.

“I don’t think there’s been more than 40. We’ve had a big increase this week and testing has been opened up a little more,” Schuyler said when asked by a member of the media, but she said she didn’t know the specific number off the top of her head.  Earlier in the week the health department also told WRFA that private medical providers were no longer required to clear testing with the county health department so the exact number of total tests given to date throughout the county is difficult to track.

But due to the relatively small number of tests that have been performed so far, and the coronavirus’ ability to spread easily, Schuyler advised that the public act on the assumption that the illness is already present in the county. She also continued to emphasize the importance of social distancing and personal sacrifices needed to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Now is not the time to be selfish and go to work or go out in public. Or go on Spring break and hang with your friends on the beach or visit friends that are ill, especially those at high risk for severe disease. Because you could pass the virus on to others,” Schuyler noted.

According to Schuyler, About 80 percent of those who contract COVID-19 will experience mild symptoms and will recover without medical intervention. The general symptoms include a fever, dry cough, and/or shortness of breath.

Schuyler also said the hospital systems across the country currently don’t have the capacity to treat and save the remaining 20 percent of patients who may need medical care if they were all to get sick at once. She said that’s why social distancing is so important.

In Chautauqua County, WRFA has learned there are a total of 170 hospital beds in the county, 17 of which are ICU beds. The ICU bed count is important to note because those are the beds that can provide respirators and other important medical equipment for those who will be most adversely impacted by the virus.

On Thursday morning, Governor Andrew Cuomo said state projections saw a peak in about five or six weeks of roughly 110,000 hospitalizations state-wide with most in the New York City Area, and 25,000 to 37,000 people in need of ICU beds.

According to the New York State Health Department, Thursday saw an increase of 1769 confirmed cases of COVID 19 across New York, bringing the new total to 4152.

As of Friday morning, John Hopkins University is reporting 38 deaths in the state caused by the virus, while the national total is at 205.
Worldwide, the death toll from COVID-19 passed 10,000 and infections exceeded 244,000.