New York to see another surge in coronavirus cases, officials prepare

ELMIRA, N.Y. (WETM) — New York state is facing a harsh reality in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic as cases spike. Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state has almost the same number of infections as back in June, and things could get worse before they get better.

Cuomo announced there were 18 fatalities in the state on Saturday. The statewide positivity rate was 2.3%, the highest it’s been since June.

Although New York is seeing an uptick in cases, Chemung County Executive Christopher Moss is disagreeing with the governor’s orders, saying he’s not sure if the state’s guidelines work for the area.

“I think what we have to look at is do the orange and yellow zones work the fact of the matter is you can’t get your hair cut or a fitness center in the orange zone, but you can drive a quarter of a mile down the road and go to that fitness center or get your hair done, so are we getting what we need out of it?” said Moss.

“It’s unfair to a lot of businesses, and since the zones are so small, it’s hurting a lot of businesses. We see what they’re trying to do, but I don’t think it works in such a small area,” said Executive Moss.

As of this evening, Chemung County is reporting 38 new cases, 179 active cases, 23 deaths.

“I’m just not sure that we saw clusters in fitness centers or hair salons or barbershops or why the governor has them closed down. Unfortunately, it’s a very unfair practice to some of the businesses especially if you’re located within the orange area,” said Moss.