BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — New numbers from the New York State Department of Health show COVID-19 cases are dropping across the board in Western New York.
After rising steadily for four straight days, hospitalizations in Erie County dropped from 47 people on Monday to 38 on Wednesday. Because Erie County makes up the majority of COVID cases in the region, overall numbers also dropped for the five-county Western New York region as tracked by the state.
Very good news: COVID-19 hospitalizations in Erie County and WNY dropped again on July 15. There were 38 COVID-19 patients in Erie County hospitals (42 for WNY), only 4 in Erie's ICUs (7 for all of WNY), and 2 in Erie's hospitals required an airway assist. See below: pic.twitter.com/ireolEeWHU
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) July 17, 2020
One person died from the virus in Erie County on both Tuesday and Wednesday. In Niagara County, a 99-year-old woman and an 86-year-old woman have died this week from complications related to COVID. Both also had underlying health conditions, according to the Niagara County health department.
Health officials remain concerned about the rising number of cases in younger people. More than 50 percent of new cases in Erie County from the last week were in people 20 to 39 years of age.
