MARGARETVILLE, NY (WSKG)—Broome, Delaware and Otsego counties are now considered areas of “substantial” COVID transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) community transmission map.
The CDC recommends people in areas of “substantial” or “high” spread mask up indoors, regardless of their vaccination status.
Delaware County saw 29 new cases in the last week, Otsego had 32 and Broome County numbered 113, according to the CDC.
In a news conference on Friday, Broome County officials said masks will be required in all Broome County buildings starting Monday and urged all residents to mask up when indoors.
According to Broome County Executive Jason Garnar, there were 143 active cases and five hospitalizations.
"We're talking about one to two new cases, daily, sometimes zero cases daily," Garnar said. "To about 30 new cases per day."
Garnar said for now, the county will not mandate proof of vaccination for entry to crowded indoor spaces like restaurants and gyms, as New York City did earlier this week.
“I think requiring some type of a mandate that you get your vaccine is overreach at this point,” said Garnar. “But, you know, that's with 30 cases a day.”
To be considered an area of “substantial” spread, a county has to have more than 50 new cases per 100,000 residents—or a positivity rate between 8 and 9.9 percent—over the course of one week. Chenango and Tompkins Counties have also reached the CDC’s threshold for “substantial” spread, according to numbers released on Sunday.