Coronavirus: Putnam Cases Double

PUTNAM COUNTY, NY — The Putnam County Department of Health confirmed six new positive cases of the new coronavirus in Putnam County residents, bringing the total to 12 confirmed cases as of Friday afternoon. New York state had a total of 7,102 cases as of Friday morning.

The people who tested positive for the virus officially known as COVID-19 have been quarantined and will continue to be monitored carefully, Putnam health officials said.

Also, the county's communicable disease staff members are interviewing them to learn about their movements, and identify all close contacts. Contact tracing then begins, which includes asking for a detailed history of where they have traveled, worked, shopped, and more. On the basis of these answers, communicable disease staff will compile a list of people who may have been potentially exposed. Staff then contacts each of these people to explain their risk. Regular communication and monitoring for symptoms of the disease continue for these contacts.

The health department is not releasing the name of the towns with lab-confirmed positive cases. The PCDOH follows HIPAA (patient privacy) and New York State DOH regulations, protecting this information, officials said. The New York state health department determines the threshold for the number of cases when information can be shared, and at this time the Putnam County case number does not meet the threshold. This is the same for reporting any other communicable disease, officials said.

Putnam's dozen cases are far lower than the numbers in other lower Hudson Valley counties, according to data from state officials Friday morning.

Don’t miss updates about precautions as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

Coronavirus in Putnam County and beyond

• Beware Coronavirus Phone Scam: County Sheriff
• Daycare Centers May Reopen, Putnam Officials Disagree
  
• POV: Seniors Take Early Coronavirus Shopping Hours In Stride
• Sullivan County Asks Visitors, Weekenders To Stay Away
  
• Coronavirus: Putnam Limits Services At County Offices
  
• NY Coronavirus: Testing Reaches 10,000 A Day