The Tompkins County Health Department has issued a health alert after potential COVID-19 public exposures at three Ithaca businesses alongside a fourteen-case uptick.
Possible exposure times and locations include Ithaca Ale on Oct. 9 between 7:00 and 8:30 p.m., Liquid State Brewing Company on Oct. 10 between 4:00 and 7:00 p.m. and Wegmans on Oct. 7 between 5:00 and 8:30 p.m., Oct. 8 between 5:00 and 8:45 p.m., Oct. 10 between 4:45 and 9:15 p.m. and Oct. 11 between 2:00 and 8:00 p.m.
Community members with potential exposures are recommended to get tested at the Cayuga Health Sampling Site. Cornell students should contact Cornell Health.
Tompkins County currently has 57 active COVID-19 cases — the result of a recent spike in cases, with 54 new cases in the past week. The uptick follows Tompkins County’s relatively low virus count after an initial influx of COVID-19 cases in September. There are currently five confirmed Cornell-affiliated cases.
As of Oct. 16, there were four COVID-related hospitalizations. Four days ago, the TCHD reported the first COVID-19 death of a resident in the county.
“We share the community’s concern with another increase in cases not associated with a clear cluster,” Tompkins County Public Health Director Frank Kruppa wrote in a statement. “When you are not at work, school, or other essential outings, please carefully consider your interactions with others.”
Six weeks have passed since the last time TCHD issued a coronavirus-related health alert for a specific business: On Sept. 4, two employees at The Boatyard Grill tested positive of COVID-19.
An employee from GreenStar’s West End location tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Sept. 30 statement published by the co-op online. TCHD did not determine the GreenStar case to be a concern to public health.