Sullivan County has first case of coronavirus

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MONTICELLO – The first case of coronavirus has been confirmed at the Sullivan County-owned and operated Care Center at Sunset Lake in Liberty, county Public Health Director Nancy McGraw said Monday.

A healthcare worker at our nursing home tested positive on Monday for the virus, she said. “They have been self-isolating since going home from work last Thursday.”

McGraw said as a matter of routine, “the center’s direct-care staff all wear personal protective equipment as they work, and to date, none of our Care Center residents or staff are exhibiting elevated temperatures or respiratory symptoms.”

County Manager Joshua Potosek said visitation at the care center was halted last Friday and all new admissions and non-urgent medical appointments at the facility have been halted.

Meanwhile, some of the Career and Technical Education students at Sullivan County BOCES, faculty and staff may have been exposed to the virus during clinical rotations at the care center.

BOCES is working with the county to determine if any exposures occurred and if so to what extent.

The health department is requesting that residents do not go to the hospital and request testing unless you develop symptoms of fever, cough and/or shortness of breath, or unless they are contacted to do so.



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Hank Gross

Hank Gross is the founder of Mid-Hudson News and a veteran journalist with over five decades of experience covering the Hudson Valley. A graduate of SUNY Oneonta, where he began his career in broadcasting, Hank has worked across radio, TV, and print media since 1970. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including an Associated Press “Best Newscast” award and recognition as a “Pillar of the Community” by the Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center. He lives in Middletown with his wife, Virginia.