QUEENSBURY | Coronavirus has arrived in Warren County, and a local government task force has mobilized to contain its spread locally.
A pharmacist at the CVS store at 5 Main St. in Queensbury has tested positive for COVID-19, and as of March 8 county officials were identifying people who were recently in close proximity to the pharmacist — to ensure that those individuals most at risk of contracting the disease were quarantined, according to county Administrator Ryan Moore.
Four individuals who worked behind the pharmacy counter with the pharmacist agreed to quarantine themselves through at least March 18, he said.
The pharmacist, a resident of Saratoga County, had worked at the CVS store from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday, March 2 and from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4,
Members of Warren County’s new public health task force identified four individuals who received vaccines administered by the pharmacist during this time period. Moore said the individuals had been identified and contacted.
“We know who they are and where they are,” he said. “One has already agreed to quarantine and we are in the process of getting the same result with the other three.”
Moore added that the County Attorney’s office had prepared quarantine orders for all of these individuals — who as of March 8 had no symptoms of infection — and the orders were to be submitted March 9 to a county judge.
“This is an added layer of protection,” Moore said, noting that all had agreed to self-quarantine. “The quarantines are precautionary measures.”
Moore added that the county’s emergency dispatchers know the quarantine locations, so if any calls are received involving these locations, emergency personnel and law officers know how to appropriately respond.
“Our deputies are knowledgeable in-home visit protocols, order logistics, and infectious disease control measures,” he said.
There were also about 400 people who picked up prescriptions at CVS while the pharmacist was on duty last week — and these people have been identified. County employees were attempting to contact all of them on March 8, Moore said, noting that the risk of transmission to these CVS customers is considered low.
He added that the objective was to advise them of their level of risk and suggest steps they should take if they experience symptoms of the virus. Such actions include calling their doctors and arranging for tests to be conducted, he said.
“Thanks go to our public health staff and employees from other county departments who have volunteered to help make these contacts,” Moore said.
The CVS store was closed March 7 for disinfection, the same day that Gov. Andrew Cuomo declared a state of emergency in New York State when the number of confirmed cases across New York jumped by more than 40 percent to a total of 89.
CVS pharmacy spokesman Mike DeAngelis said in a March 7 news release that the store was following county health department protocols and that prescriptions dispensed from this store do not represent a risk to customers. The store is located at the intersection of Main and Thomas streets.
Exposed to the virus at Florida conference
The pharmacist is one of two Saratoga County residents who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The other is a 52-year-old woman who had attended a conference in Miami where she came in contact with a Pennsylvania resident who has also tested positive for the virus, according to Gov. Cuomo.
The Albany Times Union reported March 8 that the pharmacist and the woman are a couple living together in the town of Northumberland. Saratoga County Public Health Director Catherine Duncan said both were exhibiting “minor” symptoms of the virus.
“The county will be contacting individuals and businesses that these two individuals visited, and has activated the response plan in place for the threat of widespread illnesses,” she said.
Although the number of states reporting COVID-19 cases jumped from 14 to 34 between March 4 and March 7, President Trump said Friday he had “stopped” the virus and said the next day he “wasn’t concerned at all” about COVID-19 spreading, according to news reports.
Warren Co. networking with health agencies
Moore announced March 7 that Warren County’s public health task force consists of representatives of various county departments including the Administrator’s office, the Public Health Services agency, the Office of Emergency Services, the Sheriff’s Department and the Department of Social Services.
Moore said that the county’s Public Health staff is communicating often with Glens Falls Hospital, local healthcare providers, the state Department of Health and the DOH and the federal Centers for Disease Control & Prevention regarding the spread of COVID-19.
“We have taken an array of actions to ensure that Warren County is prepared for this moment and for any future challenges we should face,” he said. ■
