On Saturday, Cayuga County Legislature Chair Aileen McNabb-Coleman issued a joint-statement with Public Health Director Kathleen Cuddy calling on all school districts to utilize remote learning until the third week of January.
“Due to the increase in COVID-19 positive cases in our county, coupled with an increase in hospitalizations Kathleen Cuddy, Cayuga County Public Health Director, and Aileen McNabb-Coleman, Chair of the Legislature, has issued a recommendation that all school districts located within the physical boundaries of Cayuga County utilize remote-only instruction until the third week of January 2021,” the statement read.
“Cayuga County is currently suffering through the worst of the pandemic,” the statement continued. “Although school-aged children are not often associated with the spread of this virus, many schools experienced closures due to inadequate staffing available because of positive COVID-19 cases and quarantines of faculty and staff in our school districts. Waiting the three weeks past New Year’s weekend may allow us to better identify and monitor case increases as we go through the incubation time period of exposures people may have had over the holidays. In addition, this time will also allow for more vaccines to have been administered in our community.”
Remote-only instruction has been criticized because of the burden that it places on families and employers. However, both officials are hopeful that additional time will give the county more time to respond to the growing caseload. “The decision to move to remote-only instruction creates widespread impact on the lives of our families and employers, we have to exercise patience and good judgment until we see a decrease in our positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations locally.”
Cayuga County reported 104 new cases in its situational update on Saturday. It brought the total number of active cases in Cayuga to 976 with more than 6,430 in mandatory quarantine. There were 37 active hospitalizations at Auburn Community Hospital, and a total of 24 deaths.
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