Saturday, April 20, 2024 | St. Lawrence County, NY
To the Editor: It is no secret that the recent spike in COVID cases within the county raises concerns for all residents. Schools' responses by going to full-time remote learning force parents and …
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To the Editor:
It is no secret that the recent spike in COVID cases within the county raises concerns for all residents. Schools' responses by going to full-time remote learning force parents and families to make significant lifestyle changes which impact every aspect of their lives. We all must be aware and vigilant as we engage in the simplest shopping errand. We all are doing our part personally and professionally. All but one organization.
The county Department of Health. Strange as it may seem, this office tasked with ensuring the overall wellbeing of every county citizen is placing each of us in danger.
According to the County’s website (as of Nov. 19) there are 17 active COVID cases in the town of Massena, 18 in Gouverneur, yet only two notices of possible exposure locations, neither are in Massena or Gouverneur. Yet the Department of Health remains conducting business with deafening silence.
No one is asking them to violate healthcare information laws, however, for overall public health, safety, and wellbeing physically and emotionally this office has a moral obligation to notify county residents the known location to which these cases are being traced. Is it a local grocery story? Hardware story? Restaurant? This information is vital for the public wellbeing and to the greatest extent must be shared, by county officials; particularly as families plan for their Thanksgiving activities.
Finally, not only is the lack of information an issue, Public Health office head Dana McGuire must explain why the cloister-like silence. The county DOH has a moral obligation to advise the citizens of this area why they have been silent with tracing information.
Why are they being so tightlipped regarding tracer information? Public accountability demands her answer to this question; soon-before things get out of hand. Should this increase in COVID cases continue, Dana McGuire and all in the county DOH, will bear the responsibility for aiding its spread, the subsequent resultant issues and thus answer to appropriate authority.
Joel Grigg
Massena
