County outbreak of COVID closes all schools

by Dan McClelland

Franklin County is experiencing what county officials are calling a major outbreak of COVID-19 and county leaders have called on school officials in the county to close every school as early as this week.

County Legislator Paul Maroun reported yesterday there were 47 active cases in the county- most in northern county towns but two in Tupper Lake.

In addition to the two active cases here, there are several other local ones among people who work here but live in Piercefield, he noted.

Mr. Maroun said the number is more alarming than people think. “People see that number (47) and don't see much of a change,” but it is fluid. He said people go off the list of active cases when their quarantine is done and more go on when they contract the virus.

He said the current number is telling as it is not decreasing. “Every day there are new cases and that worries us!”

“Everyone must understand there is an outbreak in Franklin County. -And it's both north and south ends. More in the north but still some in the south!”

Mr. Maroun said Monday he, County Manager Donna Kissane and County Board Chairman Don Dabiew from St. Regis Falls met with all the school leaders in the county.

“That's where the decision to close all schools came from. People were worried. What would we do here, what would we do there?”

“The safest thing to do to prevent further spread is to do what we are doing,” he explained.

“I know it's hard on families and we're going to have many calls. We're trying to figure out how we can offer some day-care if we have to.”

He said that right now, however, the safest thing for everyone is to close the schools this week.

Mr. Maroun said there are three things county officials want people to understand: if you feel you have symptoms, go get tested.

The second measure is that they are working at resuming Adirondack Health testing in Tupper Lake that was done this summer at the L.P. Quinn Elementary School parking lot. Right now, he said, the hospital's mobile van is visiting the Malone area to what he called “the hot spots” to test as many people as possible to try to “calm done the outbreak there.”

Mr. Maroun said there are currently 341 people in this county in quarantine for the disease.

He said the county's public health nurses are incredibly busy right now and they haven't even got to tracing everyone in quarantine right now.

Contact tracing involves a lot of time and he said county officials are hoping to get help from the state to collect more of that information.

He said the county is also hiring more people to help with the tracing work.

“We're also talking to the district attorney today to start enforcing” social distancing rules so this doesn't spread any farther.

“That means if you go in a business without a mask and they serve you, they are going to get fined!”

“We've had numerous cases all over the county and a lot of them in Tupper Lake too where people are in businesses and not wearing masks!”

He said yesterday there were a half dozen complaints in Tupper Lake about people visiting local businesses and not wearing masks.

“If we want to quell this thing, we have to be tougher...we've become a little lax in our enforcement.”

“We don't want to close businesses, but the other issue is Franklin County is almost into the state's yellow zone in the Governor's office. The yellow zone has a whole different set of standards. If we get into the red zone, we go back to no eating in restaurants, no bars, no yoga, etc.”

“We're are trying not to bet there but everyone has to work with us to avoid that!”

“I don't care about politics right now, but I am dead serious. We've had one death in Franklin County the day before yesterday and I don't want any deaths in Tupper Lake!”

“I don't care if people get angry with me. Anyone who thinks this isn't real is just plain dumb!”

“President-elect Biden last night implored people to wear a mask! He's right...it's our first line of defense!”

“I know there are people in Tupper Lake who will not wear a mask. If they don't, then they can't be served at Stewart's, at Shaheen's, at Larkins, at Tupper Lake Supply, at any business in town!”

“If people go in our local businesses without a mask and they get reported then that business will be fined!”

“We have to stop this. I don't want it in Tupper Lake!”

He stressed that all large gatherings and parties will be stopped henceforth until this crisis is over with enforcement by the state and village police. A recent party here caused several people to catch the virus and test positive, he noted.

“We're not going to have big events period. Because someone is going to get sick and die and everyone will say: why didn't we do more?”