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WPCNR COVID-19 MONITOR. From The New York State Covid Tracker. Observations by John F. Bailey February 19, 2022 UPDATED WITH WEDNESDAY NUMBERS 4:20 PM EST::

The number of new covid positives reported Tuesday by New York State in Westchester County doubled.

Wednesday February 16 positives just released descended to 140 half of the Tuesday total. The county numbers Wednesday showed Westchester with 140 new infections of 8.014 tested, Westchester through the first 4 days of the week has reported 677 new persons coming down with covid, an average of 170 a day.

I should note that 140 positives is the lowest Westchester County positives since November 26 ,2021, the Saturday after Thanksgiving when the county reported 93 positives. Ironically the day before that 93 total, Westchester on “Black Friday”, 179 tested positive. November 27 started the Fourth Wave of Covid with a week of 1,969 positives beginning 7 weeks of record infections.

On Tuesday, February 15, 280 Westchester residents showed positive for covid. The state Covid Tracker is 48 hours behind in reporting results. Testing results for Wednesda descended to 140.

After a weekend of Super Bowl parties and romantic reunions, Tuesday showed a doubling of positives bouncing back up to approaching 300 a day which was the average number infections the week the Fourth Wave of Covid started November 28.

Since Omicron Covid infects faster than the 10 to 14 days previously believed to be the incubation period for corona virus to develop full blown symptoms, the doubling of cases from 140 after Super Bowl Party-Valentines Day to 280 on Tuesday may be a cause for exercising more caution in gatherings over the President’s Day Vacation Week that started today

The 280 figure of positives per day approaches the spread potential that fueled the rise to 36.000 cases from the week before Christmas to mid-January.

In the November 28-December 4, when there were 280 average new positives a day resulting in 1,960 new covid infections, the number of infections grew to 2,791 the week of December 5 to 11 (406 new positives a day in Westchester)

From December 12 to 18 that 400 positives a day rate grew to 5,397 new cases in the county December 12 to 18.

The week before Christmas new persons covid positive averaged 1,635 a day a total of 11,450 doubling in a week.

The week of December 26 to January 2 showed 26,002 persons testing positive in one week, doubling the infections the week before Christmas. Persons showing positive a day averaged 3,714 a day.

There is one week left in February.

That is public school Presidents Week vacation, an opportunity for families vacation out of the area, socializing in the area followed by the beginning of the March Madness NCAA tournament, always calling for parties to watch the games, increased sports bars attendance; followed by the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in White Plains and of course the conviviality of St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations.

To this social longing, add five full 5-day weeks of school in March and you have socialization of children perhaps without masks, if Governor Kathy Hochul and the Department of Health relax the school mask mandate.

The February 15 doubling of infections so soon after a big social weekend may be a just a number now, it might be a just an aberration of one day numbers, but we’ll watch it for you. If it continues to double day by day it is strong reason to be cautious, socially distanced and masked up .

Doubling of infections every day or every week has produced the greatest national epidemic in New York State history the last two years, and coast to coast. Crippled the economy. Divided the country. Enabled the selfish. Killed robust adults Hurt the young. Compromised health care. Eliminated “Normal” from our existence.

Covid should not be given a Fifth Tsunami Wave to delver yet another setback.