Tompkins County Seeing ‘High Transmission Rate’ of COVID-19; Children Under 12 Make up 20 percent of Recent Cases

Truman in mask

(Fred Balfour / WRFI)

ITHACA, NY -- Tompkins County is seeing a high transmission rate of COVID-19, prompting  the Health Department to recommend masking in all local schools.

As defined by the CDC, high-transmission of COVID is seeing over 100 positive cases per 100,000 residents over a seven-day period.

According to data from the Tompkins County Health Department, there have been 146 positive cases of COVID-19 in the County over the past 7 days.

That’s due to the Delta Variant’s local dominance. 

The more infectious variant accounts for over 90 percent of the recent cases Tompkins County has seen, and it’s causing fully-vaccinated people and children to make up larger proportions of the recent positive COVID cases. 

The Health Department reports that children under age 12 have made up nearly 20 percent of total cases since May, but that is just around 1 percent of that age group’s population in Tompkins County.

The Health Department is reemphasizing the mask advisory it issued on Jul 30th. They recommend that masks be worn while indoors around others. They also recommend that students, staff, and faculty mask up as the start of the school year approaches.

08232021_COVID 2

CORRECTION:

An earlier version of this story inaccurately reported that the number of children under 12 who have tested positive for COVID-19 only constitute 0.01 percent of that age group's population in Tompkins County.

CREATIVES: Painter Arthur Bucknor – Hindrance and Flow: Inheriting the Sculptural Idiom

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 27, 2024

Ghanian-American painter Arthur Bucknor discusses his work, his father renown Ghanian painter Kobina Bucknor, and ⁠his upcoming show at the Cherry Arts⁠ with WRFI’s Felix Teitelbaum. The show opens Friday, March 29 and runs through May 12. There is an opening reception from 5-7 on March 29. The Cherry Gallery is at 130 Cherry St.…

Local News: March 27, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 27, 2024

– The Town of Caroline approves its first zoning law – The Caroline Town Board approved its first comprehensive zoning law by a vote of 3-1 during its meeting last Wednesday. WSKG Public Radio reports the decision comes after about four years of sometimes contentious community debate. The law was designed to limit development and…

Local News: March 26, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 26, 2024

– State Senate passes bill banning permits for new gas extraction method – The New York State Senate voted to ban permits for natural gas extraction using carbon dioxide. The bill was introduced by Senator Lea Webb of the 52nd district which includes Binghamton and Ithaca. It came after a Texas-based company, Southern Tier Solutions…

Local News: March 25, 2024

By Celia Clarke | March 25, 2024

– Early voting for presidential primaries has begun – Early voting in New York’s presidential primaries began this past Saturday. Tompkins County has two early voting sites. They are in the Town of Ithaca town hall on Tioga Street in downtown Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Library System building on Dryden Road in Ithaca. To…

Local News: March 22, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 22, 2024

A new report says wage growth in Ithaca is the slowest among 30 similar college towns. Peter Meyers of the Tompkins County Workers Center told WHCU the report highlights what he called a “perfect storm of worker suffering.” Ithaca’s wage growth between 2017 and 2022 was just 16.9%. The top wage growth reported by the…

Local News: March 21, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 21, 2024

Overdose deaths and emergencies in Tompkins County continue to rise. According to data from Tompkins Whole Health the number of deaths has increased every year since 2019. The annual number of 911 calls related to overdose or poisoning has also trended upward. The ongoing impacts of COVID-19 and the increased presence of fentanyl and xylazine…

Local News: March 20, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 20, 2024

Ithaca Police are investigating a potential bias incident in Collegetown Monday. According to reports by Cornell Daily Sun and the Ithaca Voice, a Muslim woman was spat on by a man on College Ave. Cornell President Martha Pollack condemned the attack in an email Tuesday saying “We must be united and firm in our rejection…

Local News: March 19, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 19, 2024

A pro-Palestine group at Cornell is agitating for the university to divest from weapons manufacturers supplying Israel’s war efforts in Gaza. According to the Cornell Daily Sun, the Coalition for Mutual Liberation, or CML, held a campus-wide action Thursday. Members of the group said they would continue to violate Cornell’s controversial Interim Expressive Activity Policy…

Join Us for The Listening Room, Thursday, March 21

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 18, 2024

Come enjoy crystal clear audio and crackling conversation with guest curators Rebecca Redelmeier and Aurora Berry, WSKG’s new reporters based in Ithaca. WRFI’s Felix Teitelbaum will also share a few sonic delights. The Listening Room is an informal salon for lovers of audio co-hosted by Story House Ithaca and WRFI Community Radio. Curators present selections…

Local News: March 18, 2024

By Felix Teitelbaum | March 18, 2024

Former acting Ithaca Police Chief John Joly is suing the city and alleging racial discrimination and other offenses. According to the Ithaca Voice, Joly, who is white, was passed over for promotion to the permanent role after a bungled appointment process in 2022. Then Mayor Laura Lewis selected Joly for the role without the backing…