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April 4, 2020
Valley News
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• EDITION •
Essex discourages travel by visitors County lacks resources to handle influx By Tim Rowland STAFF WRITER
ELIZABETHTOWN | Citing an “alarming influx of travelers from outside the county who are staying at second homes and short-term rentals,” Essex County has asked visitors to stay away, and the owners of short-term rentals to shut down until the coronavirus pandemic has subsided. Warren and Washington counties to the south followed suit shortly thereafter, but the requests have been criticized by Gov. Andrew Cuomo for effectively pitting one part of the state against another. “I don’t like it socially or culturally,” Cuomo said in an interview on WAMC public radio. “I don’t like what it says of us as one state.” It’s also an awkward position for the Adirondacks, telling people to stay away from an area that for generations officials have been promoting as a welcoming tourist destination. But Shaun Gillilland, chairman of the Essex County Board of Supervisors, noted in a statement that these are not normal times, and that the exceedingly rural
county, whose health network struggles to keep up with the influx of vacationers in the best of times, is incapable of handling an influx during a pandemic. New arrivals “should not have an expectation that resources will be available to you here that are not available to you in your hometown,” Gillilland wrote. “Essex County has a limited number of healthcare resources and hospital beds and there is no testing.” As of the weekend, Essex County had five confirmed cases of COVID19, although health officials acknowledge that due to the paucity of testing there are likely more cases that have flown under the radar. As the county noted, many summer residents have already returned, coming earlier than usual to avoid being trapped in their winter quarters should any lockdown restrictions on travel be enacted. But along with them has come a surge of people from the cities looking for remote locales where they believe they can hide out from the virus. Essex County officials worry that this could strain the local supply chain. “As a rural county, most small businesses are closed, services are severely strained and grocery stores, while still open to the public, are experiencing a shortage of food and basic supplies,” Gillilland wrote. The county has limited ability to
TENTS ARE UP BUT SUPPLIES ARE DOWN By Laurel Carroll STAFF WRITER
NORTHERN NEW YORK | To help accommodate the increasing need for coronavirus screenings and testing, Hudson Headwaters Health Network (HHHN) has set up two large tents—one at the West Mountain 2 Health Center in Queensbury, and the other in Champlain—with other HHHN sites utilizing smaller tents. In the last week and a half, HHHN providers have ordered or performed roughly 500 COVID-19 tests, some returning with positive results. Unfortunately, due to the statewide shortage of testing supplies, tests have now been restricted to symptomatic network health care providers. Working closely with HHHN, the University of Vermont, Elizabethtow n Communit y Hospital’s
enforce its directive, although there are typically fewer vacationers in April, which in the Adirondacks goes by the inelegant sobriquet of “mud season.” But groups may, theoretically at least, be open to regulation. Nonessential social gatherings have been prohibited under a state executive order through April 22, and the county considers multi-family short-term rentals subject to this order.
One of the Hudson Headwaters Health Network tents used for coronavirus screening. Photo provided
Ticonderoga and Elizabethtown campuses will help out by performing COVID-19 tests for Hudson Headwaters patients who are ill enough to require hospitalization. ■
Smaller rentals are being asked to shut down as well, although compliance is voluntary. “As we work together to minimize the spread of this virus across our most vulnerable populations, we respectfully ask that property owners comply with this request to limit new exposures and protect the health and welfare of all by removing short-term rental listings from services such as Airbnb and Vrbo,
and not renting their short-term rentals,” Gillilland wrote. Regarding the outdoors, the Department of Environmental Conservation is urging hikers to wait for better conditions, or find nearby hikes instead of traveling to popular trailheads. “While it can be disappointing, the best thing to do might be to stay home,” the DEC encouraged readers in its weekly trails report. ■
FEDERAL PRISON RAY BROOK HAS ONE STAFF COVID+
FCI Ray Brook
Federal Bureau of Prisons photo
Union president says federal prison “grossly under-prepared” for pandemic By Kim Dedam STAFF WRITER
RAY BROOK|One member of the prison staff at FCI Ray Brook has tested positive for COVID19, the illness caused by novel coronavirus. Scott Taylor, from the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) Office of Public Affairs in
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published commentary on last week in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, warning that federal prisons are “grossly under-prepared to properly react and reduce the affects of the COVID-19 pandemic at the Federal Correctional Institute at Ray Brook.” Weldon listed three primary areas of concern in his missive: inadequate personal protective equipment; inadequacy of the outdoor staff screening site; and lack of social distancing protocol. “The key aspect of our mission is to protect society. By not taking steps to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 within FCI Ray Brook, we are placing the community around us in greater danger of contacting the virus.” There is one case of COVID-19 at Clinton
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Washington, D.C. confirmed the case, referencing a daily update. “Due to the rapidly evolving nature of this public health crisis, the BOP will update this dashboard daily at 3 p.m. based on the most recently available data from across the agency as reported by the BOP’s Office of Occupational Health and Safety.” As of Monday afternoon, the federal agency reported 19 inmates across the U.S. and 19 staff members, including one at Ray Brook, are COVID positive. FCI Ray Brook has suspended all visits to the facility until further notice. James Weldon, union president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Council of Prison Locals C-33,
County Correctional Center, a state facility, in Dannemora. As of late Thursday, there are five confirmed COVID-19 cases in Essex County under mandatory isolation. Another 19 people are in quarantine. A total 61 people have been tested. “The lower number of confi rmed cases in Essex County is very likely the result of reduced access to tests, which is occurring throughout the region,” Public Health Director Linda Beers said. “We know that we are now facing community spread, so the potential for exposure is a reality for everyone, regardless of travel or other risk factors. The best way to protect yourself, your family, and your neighbors is to stay home as much as possible, minimize your interactions with others by practicing social distancing, and maintain hand hygiene.” Guidelines for COVID-19 testing are changing, becoming more stringent, Beers said. “Because testing may be delayed, it’s important that everyone follow the recommendations from the Department of Health and the Essex County Health Department to work together to stay home, ‘flatten the curve’, and ensure our healthcare system isn’t stretched beyond capacity.” Residents who are showing symptoms of COVID-19 should follow the directions of their doctor, which may include: staying home and self-isolating; using a separate bathroom from household members; staying at least six feet away from other household members; resting; staying hydrated and refraining from having any visitors into the home. For general questions regarding COVID-19, individuals can contact the state Department of Health hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or visit: coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home ■