Latimer Weekly Briefing: Get a Flu Shot, 235 COVID-19 Positives in Rye; 1,456 Westchester Resident Deaths – Thursday, October 1, 2020

(PHOTO: Rye guy and Westchester County boss George Latimer gets a flu shot during his October 1, 2020 press briefing.)

For Thursday, Westchester reported the following City of Rye numbers:

235 total COVID-19 cases since inception;
5 active COVID-19 cases (this assumes the remaining 230 have run the average two week contagion cycle and are no longer active);
0 new COVID-19 cases.

Rye guy and Westchester County boss George Latimer held his weekly COVID-19 briefing from the Westchester County Health Department in White Plains.

After his COVID update, Latimer rolled up his sleeve and got a flu shot. “It was as easy as pie,” said Latimer of the shot, administered at his live news conference.

Latimer appeared with Commissioner of Health Sherlita Amler, MD and both encouraged the public to get the flu shot. Amler said the County has purchased 20,000 doses of the flu vaccine and is providing vaccinations at no cost at its clinic, food pantries, shelters and other locations (see more information here). The flu and COVID have similar symptoms, so taking steps to be healthy is even more important this year to avoid confusion and the corresponding strain on individuals and healthcare system.

Amler also mentioned a new “COVID Alert NY” app you can put on your phone to be notified if you come into contact with someone known to have COVID.

“We all know that 2020 has proven to be a challenging year for our health and safety,” said Latimer. We have been faced with an unprecedented pandemic – one that has made many of our friends and neighbors sick in a way unlike anything we’ve seen before. Don’t put off your flu shot any longer, make an appointment to get vaccinated today.”

Residents should check with their health care provider or a local pharmacy to find a location, or you can use this Vaccine Finder link to find a pharmacy near you that provides flu vaccine.

Just like everyone else, county executives look at the NY State COVID-19 tracker for county and state level statistics on the pandemic and at the NY State regional  monitoring dashboard to see our progress towards continued reopening.

Important to note expanded reporting now shows fatality data from all nursing homes in the State, including The Osborn in Rye.

The COVID-19 numbers:

Fatalities of Westchester residents: 1,456
Fatalities at Westchester nursing homes – The Osborn Home in Rye is reporting six (6) confirmed COVID-19 deaths and six (6) presumed COVID-19 deaths thru September 30th (that’s no new confirmed deaths since the prior update). There is no data from Rye Manor or Vienna Senior Housing.)
Fatalities in Westchester: 1,589
Numbers of persons tested: 670,659
Tested positive: 38,300
% Positive results: 5.7%
Persons tested today: 5,027
New positives today: 61