BY ANDY GARDNER
North Country This Week

CANTON -- A fifth person in St. Lawrence County has died of COVID-19.

Dr. Andrew Williams informed the St. Lawrence County Board of Legislators during their Monday, Nov. 2 meeting. The doctor is also president of the St. Lawrence County Board of Health.

He declined to release information on the deceased.

“At this point I can’t (release information), in all fairness to the family. Information may become available at the family’s discretion,” the doctor said. He was responding to Legislator Tony Arquiett, D-Helena, asking if there was any information available on the fatality.

The death occurred sometime between Saturday and Monday.

“The most recent death is not reported in the New York State tracking website, but will be there shortly,” Dr. Williams said.

During that same time frame, Saturday to Monday, St. Lawrence County saw 20 new cases of COVID-19. Seven people are hospitalized with the illness and 44 cases are active.

“There’s a significant upward trend,” the doctor said. “We’re at 5.8 (average cases per day), which is the kind of numbers we were seeing back in March and April. It seems to be a steady increase over the past three weeks.”

He urged everyone to be vigilant in what he calls “the Five Pillars of community health response,” measures intended to cut down the risk of COVID-19 spreading. They are: wearing a mask that covers the nose and mouth, social (physical) distancing, washing your hands for at least 20 seconds with soap, staying home if sick and staying local.

COVID-19 testing in the county is done through local hospital systems by appointment only. Call the numbers below between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. if you have symptoms or feel you should be tested:

St. Lawrence Health System: 315-261-6240

Claxton Hepburn Medical Center: 315-713-6655

Clifton-Fine Hospital: 315-848-8049

Community Health Center of the North Country in Canton: 315-379-8132