Mayor Gary Herzig
sounds warning about
COVID variant
at Common Council

By KEVIN LIMITI • Special to www.AllOTSEGO.com

ONEONTA — The Common Council meeting Tuesday, Aug. 3, began with a message from Mayor Gary Herzig regarding the recent updates regarding the delta variant of the coronavirus.

"We're all concerned about the variant," Herzig said. "The numbers aren't alarming but they are going in the wrong direction."

Herzig likened it to a race between the virus and vaccinations. "Unfortunately, what we didn't see coming is the large number of people who didn't want to get the vaccinations."

Otsego County has a 57% vaccination rate, Herzig said, which is lower than both the state and national average of 70%.

As of Tuesday, there were three reported new cases in Otsego County, bringing the total cases up to 31, according to the Otsego County Department of Health, making it a 2.6% seven day positivity average.

"If it continues this way, it's not just the delta variant, we give the virus time to create new variants which could be even worse," Herzig said. "In the meantime, if you're not vaccinated, wear a mask and if you are vaccinated, feel free to use a mask as a safety precaution."