In her daily report on the COVID-19 statistics from the Tioga County health department, Tioga County Legislature Chairman Martha Sauerbrey called attention to the cause for a recent spike in the number of people in mandatory quarantine. Sauerbrey said the increase is “the direct result from large gatherings, barbeque events and parties.”
On the WEBO Morning Show, Sauerbrey said one of the quests at a large party recently in Tioga County tested positive for COVID-19. As required by contact tracing, the infected person was asked by public health to identify the people in close proximity in the days prior to the positive test. As a result, the health department put roughly 30 people at the party into mandatory quarantine for 14-days.
Sauerbrey said it is important that we keep our numbers down so we may continue to open up businesses and activities throughout Tioga County and the Southern Tier. It is also important to remember that if we want to get our children back in school, we need to pull together and practice good habits like wearing masks, washing our hands, practicing social distancing and avoid hosting or attending large gatherings of people.
Privacy laws preclude the health department from identifying the infected person or the host of the large party. Since July 1, the number of people in mandatory quarantine in Tioga County has more than doubled from 37 to 93 on July 11.
Mandatory quarintine does not mean people are infected. These are individuals have had close contact (6 ft.) with someone who has tested positive, but are not displaying symptoms for COVID-19 or individuals who have traveled to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea or Italy and are displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
