Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Following calls for increased transparency and a back-and-forth with the state, the Erie County Department of Health says they will make public the number of individuals under quarantine for potential Coronavirus exposure.
On Friday, the Health Department released a statement saying that 116 individuals are in quarantine in Erie County as part of the coronavirus protocol.
Those people are in every legislative district across the county and are at varying points in the quarantine process, which can vary based on travel history and the updates to guidelines from the CDC. Since the end of January, the County Health Department says it has managed 147 total quarantine cases, and 31 individuals have completed their quarantine period. The Health Department plans to make the number of people under quarantine public, and will update that data weekly on its web site. No personal information - including age, occupation, school district, and location of residence – related to these individuals will be included in the report.
“Protecting the privacy of these individuals while also keeping the public informed is of paramount importance and we are doing everything we can to maintain that. By releasing this aggregate data, we will be able to keep the public up-to-date on the quarantine process while protecting that privacy,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein, in a statement. “This number will change constantly from day to day, so releasing it weekly is most practical means to get this information out. Currently we do not have a confirmed case of COVID-19 in Erie County, but if that changes the public will also be made aware of that.”
“Our epidemiology office is in contact with these individuals daily throughout the course of their quarantine period. The quarantine process is a safeguard and a proven preventive measure to protect public health.”