Otsego County

Entering 2021

With 120 Cases

By CHRYSTAL SAVAGE • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

COOPERSTOWN – While the eve of the New Year has reported no new deaths, 33 new cases for the county were reported today – a near all-time high next to the 35 cases reported on Dec. 8 and Dec. 18.

December has been the deadliest month in the county since the first cases were reported and has also seen the highest rate of transmission – next to the SUNY Oneonta outbreak in August – with a total of 615 new cases reported throughout the month.

County Public Health Director Heidi Bond warns against social gatherings amid the most fatal and communicable month of the pandemic in the region thus far.

“If people choose to ignore the guidelines and gather anyway,” Bond said, “it is safe to say things will be worse than they were this month.”

“December was bad in part because of the holidays; 306 cases were reported in November by comparison,” Bond said.

“It will take a while to get the vaccine out, let alone to build up immunity – we need to be diligent.”

Ten dozen cases remain active alongside of which 21 individuals that remain hospitalized.