After watching Tioga County’s daily report of confirmed cases soar upward in the past 10 days – from 25 on April 14 to 89 on Friday – we now know why. A COVID-19 outbreak at Elderwood Nursing Home in Waverly has resulted in 57 of the current cumulative total of 89 confirmed cases in Tioga County – 21 new cases were reported among Elderwood residents on Friday for an overall total of 52 cases. Testing bu Guthrie Health has also identified 14 staff with the coronavirus but only five are Tioga County residents, for a total of 57 cases among residents and staff).
All five of Tioga County’s deaths reported to date from COVID-19 were Elderwood residents. In other words, Tioga County’s general population has tested positive for the coronavirus in 32 residents; no one in the county’s general population has died from COVID-19.
Tioga County Legislature Chairwoman Martha Sauerbrey said in a prepared statement issued Friday: “Tioga County has seen the cluster of COVID-19 cases increase at Elderwood in Waverly. An increase in testing was made available through Guthrie Health to help uncover additional cases in residents who may be asymptomatic. Twenty-one new cases were identified at Elderwood today (Friday) and, to date, there have been 52 confirmed cases in residents at the facility. The facility is also conducting testing for all staff. As of today, 14 staff members have tested positive for the virus, however, only five of those staff are Tioga County residents. Staff that reside in other counties are counted toward their total cases (52 residents and 5 staff, who live in Tioga County, equal 57 confirmed cases at Elderwood that are included in Tioga County’s total).
“I also regrettably announce that we have lost another person to the virus. The five lives lost to COVID-19 in Tioga County were residents of Elderwood. My heart goes out to all of the family members who have lost loved ones to this virus, as well as to the staff at Elderwood that have endured the loss of the residents who they cared for deeply,” said Sauerbrey.
Other statistics from Friday’s report from Tioga Public Health:
- 86 Individuals in Mandatory Quarantine. These are individuals who have had close contact (6 ft.) with someone who has tested positive, but is not displaying symptoms for COVID-19; or individuals that have traveled to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, or Italy and is displaying symptoms of COVID-19.
- 1 Individual in Precautionary Quarantine. These are individuals who have traveled to China, Iran, Japan, South Korea, or Italy while COVID-19 was prevalent, but is not displaying symptoms; or is known to have had a proximate exposure to a positive person but has not had direct contact with a positive person and is not displaying symptoms.
- 0 Tests Awaiting Results.
- 21 Recovered – Total number of individuals who had a confirmed case of COVID-19 and are now symptom and fever-free that meet the criteria to be released from Isolation.
- 5 Deaths (all residents of Elderwood in Waverly).
This is a snapshot of data provided to Tioga County Public Health at this point in time. Administered tests are tracked in various ways. Test results are reported.
