Health leaders in Cattaraugus County continue to report new single-digit COVID-19 cases, with only six on Tuesday.
Paula Ketchner is a clinical laboratory technologist for the Cattaraugus County Health Department, and for the last two weeks, there have either been no new positive cases of COVID-19, or just a handful.
"It was a little bit chaotic for a while," said Ketchner.
Ketchner says at the height of the pandemic, the lab was testing more than 100 swabs a day, a number that has dramatically dropped to about 20.
Technicians also had to report positive and negative test data to the state.
"It was really daunting,” said Ketchner. “We were trying to keep up with our other work that we do as well as all the COVID testing.”
Cattaraugus County Public Health Director Dr. Kevin Watkins, who just wrapped up his term as president of the New York State Association of County Health Officials, says an increase in the number of vaccines has led to fewer new cases.
“The relief is just unmeasurable,” he said. “We have been hoping for these days to come.”
Dr. Watkins says despite the virus still being present in the community, people still have a number of reasons for not wanting to get tested.
"’I don't want to get isolated,’” said Dr. Watkins. “’I don't want to have my colleagues quarantined, or family members quarantined.’ Or they may think it's just an allergy. The demand throughout the state has just started to decrease amongst residents all together.”
State leaders also say the seven-day average has dropped to a new low.
“While we continue to do everything we can to get as many New Yorkers vaccinated as quickly as possible, COVID-19 testing remains an important component of our public health response during this unprecedented pandemic,” said Jeffrey Hammond, NYS Department of Health public information officer. “Simultaneously using vaccination and COVID-19 testing together has led to New York state’s positivity rate hitting a record low, including a seven-day average that is the lowest since the pandemic began.”
As for vaccinations, Dr. Watkins says 41% of residents have had their first dose, while only about a third of the county's 74,000 people have been fully vaccinated.
"We would say we have turned the corner,” said Dr. Watkins. “We would prefer to have a lot more. It is our goal to vaccinate as many people if we can — the entire community if we could.”
Ketchner says she's equally hopeful more people will continue to get vaccinated.
"The numbers will keep going down, and we'll eventually get back to normal here pretty soon," she said.
For those wanting to get tested, the county is holding a clinic Friday at the Intandem center in the town of Allegany.
The county is also holding a vaccination clinic Wednesday at Cattaraugus Little Valley Central Schools and one at Portville Central Schools on Thursday.