For consecutive days, Chautauqua County has recorded more than 20 new confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The county Health Department on Friday noted 23 new cases, a day after it saw 21 come in a day earlier. Since Aug. 1, there have been 162 new confirmed cases of the virus, with health officials noting that the highly contagious Delta variant is within the community.

Of the new cases, 16 are located in the Jamestown zip code and one each in Fredonia, Falconer, Frewsburg, Gerry, Portland, Ripley and Westfield.

There are currently 109 active cases, an increase of 12 from Thursday’s data; four people with the virus in the hospital, which was unchanged; and 250 people in quarantine, an increase of 43 from the previous day.

The seven-day positivity rate also jumped, from 4.8% on Thursday to 5.6% on Friday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention level of community transmission in Chautauqua County remains “substantial.”

FACIAL

COVERINGS REQUIRED AT SUNY FREDONIA

Because of the recent spike, facial coverings will be required by everyone who visits the State University of New York at Fredonia starting Monday.

In a notice sent to the campus community on Friday, President Stephen Kolison said policy change is due to the increase in COVID-19 infection rates due to the Delta variant. “Face coverings will be required for everyone, regardless of vaccination status, in all indoor spaces on campus,” he said. “The only exceptions will be in personal living spaces, individual workspaces, and during indoor eating and drinking. This requirement pertains to students, faculty, staff, and all visitors to campus. We will re-evaluate this requirement by September 16, 2021.”

Kolison is hopeful this approach will “minimize the potential for the transmission of the virus across campus and aid us in achieving our goal of having full in-person academic and extracurricular activities at SUNY Fredonia this fall and beyond.

“Of course, the best way to keep that goal, and potentially remove this indoor facial covering requirement, is for everyone on campus to be vaccinated.”

The fall semester begins Aug. 23.

There are currently 72 active cases in Cattaraugus County as well as four people with the virus in the hospital, and 353 “quarantined contacts.” To date there have been 5,876 total cases, 5,694 recoveries and 110 virus-related deaths.