Erie County contact tracers are "back on their game"

GOOD EVENING..TONIGHT ERIECOUNTY CONTINUESTO FLATTEN THECURVE...BUT A WORD OFWARNING... FROMHEALTH OFFICIALS...WE MAY APPEARMORE STABLE... BUTOUR NUMBERSNOW.... CONTINUETO BE MUCHHIGHER THAN INTHE SPRING..THE LATESTNUMBERS FROMTHE STATE PUT THEPOSITIVY RATE INTHE WESTERN NEWYORK REGION AT 6-POINT-6 PERCENT.THAT'S DOWNSLIGHTLY FROM THEPREVIOUS TWODAYS.THE NUMBER OFAVAILABLEHOSPITAL BEDS ISHOLDING STEADY -AT 25 PERCENT.SOME ADDITIONALNEWS TONIGHTFROM ERIE COUNTYHEALTH OFFICIALSWHEN IT COMES TOWHAT THEYEXPECTED TO BE A"THANKSGIVING"SURGE.7:53- 8:06THEGOOD NEWS THATTHE CURVE IS NOTAS STEEP AS WEHAD ANTICIPATED ..THE BAD NEWS ISTHAT IT DOESCONTINUE TOINCREASE ANDDOESN'T REALLYSEEM TO LEVELOFF UNTILSOMETIME UNTILJANUARY 2021THERE IS ASOMBERMILESTONETODAY... ERIECOUNTYREPORTING THENUMBER OFCOVID-RELATEDDEATHS NOWSTANDS AT 1-THOUSAND-1..ERIE COUNTY'SARMY OFCONTRACTTRACERS IS BACKON TRACK ANDMAKING ADIFFERENCE IN THEFIGHT.7 EYEWITNESSNEWS REPORTERHANNAH BUEHLERTAKES A CLOSERLOOK AT THETRACER IMPACTAND WHAT THENEXT STEP IS TOKEEP THEMOMENTUMGROWING...TRT:2:06OUT: 7EWN091:45SOT: WE'RE BACKON OUR GAME WITHCONTACT TRACINGAND ONCE AGAINEXTREMELYEFFICIENTTHE AMOUNT OFERIE COUNTYCONTACT TRACERSHAS NEARLYDOUBLED IN AMONTHDUE TO THEAMOUNT OF COVID-19 CASES IN OURCOMMUNITYSOT: WE HAVE 98 TODATEWE NOTIFYAS SOON AS APOSITIVE CASE TOMAKE SURETHEY'RE AWARETHEY HAVE TO BE INISOLATIONLAST MONTHTHECONTACT TRACINGFORCE WASSEVERELYDEPLETED ASCASES BEGAN TORISE..IT TOOK DAYS FORCONTACT TRACERSTO NOTIFY APERSON OF APOSITIVE CASEAND THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT SAYSIT HAS EMPLOYEDAND TRAINEDPEOPLE FROM ALLDIFFERENTPOSITIONS INCOUNTYGOVERNMENT.SOT: SOCIALSERVICES,SHERIFF'SHEALTHCOMMISSIONER DR.GALE BURSTEINSAYS THECOUNTYIS NOW INTHE PROCESS OF APILOT PROGRAM TOSHIFT TRACERS TOREMOTE WORK...SOT: WE'RE GOINGTO DO A PILOT SOWE CAN WORK OUTTHE KINKSBURSTEIN SAYSTHAT REMOTECONTACT TRACINGWILL BEGINMONDAY.ADDITIONALLYTHECOUNTY SAYS ITHAS A SPECIALEPIDEMIOLOGYTEAMWORKING CLOSELYWITH THESCHOOLS...THIS WEEKBURSTEIN SAYS 78STUDENTS ANDSTAFF IN ERIECOUNTY SCHOOLSHAVE TESTEDPOSITIVETHAT'S COMPAREDTO 220 LASTWEEK..AND 226 THE WEEKBEFORE.SOT: WE'RE NOTSEEINGTRANSMISSION INTHE CLASSROOMIT'S MOSTLY STAFFTO STAFF NOTADHERING TO THEGUIDELINESTHE COUNTY SAYSTHE SCHOOLS WHOHAVE BEEN TESTINGSTUDENTS FOR INPERSON LEARNINGLAST WEEKCONDUCTED 3,110TESTS ONLY 13WERE POSITIVEWITH A POSITIVITYRATE OF 0.4%SOT: THAT IS GOODTHAT MEANS THEREIS NOT A LOT OFASYMPTOMATICTRANSMISSION INTHE SCHOOLSSTANDUP CLOSE:BURSTEIN SAYS THEQUARANTINECRITERIA FORCONTACT IN THESCHOOLS WILL BECHANGINGPREVIOUSLYIFSOMEONE TESTEDPOSITIVE IN THECLASSROOMLASTING MORETHAN 60 MINUTESTHE ENTIRE CLASSWOULD HAVE TOQUARANTINE..BUTNOWBURSTEINSAYS ITS JUSTTHOSE WITHIN 6FEET FOR 10MINUTES WILL HAVETO QUARANTINEHB 7EWN