OLEAN, N.Y. — A second Cattaraugus County resident has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Cattaraugus County’s public health director, Dr. Kevin Watkins, said early Saturday afternoon that word was received late Friday that a positive COVID-19 test came back for a man from the southwest area of the county.
The man reported joint pain on March 18 and went to a chiropractor, Watkins said. The man called the county health department after he developed a cough and shortness of breath and was tested on Thursday. The results were reported Friday evening.
“He had traveled up to the Buffalo area,” Watkins said of the man, who has been placed under mandatory quarantine for two weeks at home with his family.
“We will continue to watch him very closely for symptoms” that could require hospital treatment, Watkins said.
The news of a second county resident testing positive for COVID-19 came after a positive test was received for a 33-year-old woman from the northwest sector of the county on Friday.
That resident had recently visited New York City and the Buffalo area, according to local health officials.
“We’ve conducted 154 tests,” Watkins said Saturday. “There have been 135 negative results and 17 are pending. In addition, there are 38 residents in mandatory quarantine in their homes and 13 in precautionary quarantines in their homes.
“I’m still recommending people hunker down in their homes and not travel to any areas with widespread coronavirus hotspots,” Watkins said. “Keep a social distance of at least 6 feet and wash your hands for 20 seconds, often. And stay home if you are sick.”
On Thursday, Cattaraugus County was the only Western New York county and among a handful in New York state not to report a confirmed case of COVID-19.
An Allegany County woman who reported shortness of breath upon coming to the Olean General Hospital emergency room, is the hospital’s first patient with COVID-19.
Watkins said health care providers who came in contact with the woman are being tested.
“We continue to monitor them for symptoms,” he said. “Everyone was wearing personal protective equipment and there was no known exposure,” he added.
“The staff,” Watkins said, “was well-prepared. They are treating all respiratory cases as if they were positive for coronavirus.”
