ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Monroe County Executive Adam Bello says the number of COVID-19 patients at local hospitals will help determine if and when the county could move into the second of a three-phased approach aimed at decreasing the spread of the virus.
“We’ll probably move more towards proof of vaccination or negative tests,” Bello said. “Again, we’re putting a lot more tests out into the community. [We] may or may not look at masks based on where it’s spreading, but right now, I’m really interested in vaccine and testing.”
As part of a state of emergency announced on Nov. 30, the county implemented Phase 1 of its COVID-19 prevention measures starting on Wednesday. This includes masking at county facilities, expanded rapid test sites in the city of Rochester, Greece and Pittsford, and the announcement the county will distribute 750,000 free rapid test kits to everyone in the county before Christmas.
Bello said last week that mandates for masks and/or vaccinations are not being implemented for the rest of the county as part of Phase 1, but if COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to rise, then the county will need to move on to Phase 2 prevention measures.
He says additional members of the National Guard arrived at Monroe Community Hospital Monday. This comes after Gov. Kathy Hochul called them in to help with hospital COVID capacities throughout shortages. Now all 26 of the soldiers and airmen are on site. Bello says their presence allows the county to expand the number of beds by 40 over the next two weeks. After that, he says the county will reassess.
Over the next few days, Bello says the process of moving patients out of the hospitals will begin.
“We’ll reassess the 40 beds, whether the current staff will allow us to go beyond that,” he said. “But we’re already working with the systems on discharge plans. We already have criteria set up on who we’re bringing over and that pipeline’s going to start to move.”
Bello says the 750,000 COVID test kits are currently in the process of being delivered to the area.