Orange County Health Department Confirms Three Additional COVID-19 Cases

       The Orange County Health Department was notified on Sat., Mar. 14 that three additional Orange County residents have tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19). As of Saturday, Orange County now has six positive COVID-19 cases. Due to existing Federal, State and Local public health laws, Orange County cannot release any identifying information about patients (to include location). The Orange County Department of Public Health and their epidemiologists continue to work with local hospitals, doctors offices, EMS and other medical health care providers to identify and work with those who may have come in direct contact with those individuals and will follow up with them directly to include follow up recommendations as needed.

      Orange County remains in daily contact with our partner agencies to include; Centers for Disease Control (CDC), New York State Department of Health, State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, local hospitals, doctor offices, as well as other local medical and healthcare providers. Orange County Health Commissioner Dr. Irina Gelman advised that the best way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the flu, and other droplet-spread viruses, continues to be to practice basic, common-sense personal hygiene. This includes washing your hands frequently and thoroughly, refraining from touching your face and avoiding unnecessary contact with others. Should you feel ill, contact your healthcare provider first.

         Do not go directly to the doctor’s office, an emergency room or other healthcare facilities. These simple steps will help prevent the spread of the virus and protect you and your loved ones. If you are an Orange County resident and have recently traveled outside the U.S. and have questions regarding COVID-19, please contact the Orange County Department of Health at 845-291-2330. If you feel you are experiencing symptoms, please call your medical provider immediately prior to presenting to a facility. Due to the high volume of calls, we encourage residents who have basic questions to visit the Orange County Health Department’s webpage at www.orangecountygov.com/health.

      For general questions, residents may also contact the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) 2019 Novel Coronavirus hotline at 1-888-364-3065 to speak with a NYSDOH expert who will answer questions. This is open 24 hours a day.