UPDATE: A few hours after this story was published on December 1, Sullivan County Public Health Services announced that "today (December 1) we received 87 additional positive cases, bringing the total to 395 active cases, 833 in isolation/quarantine, 10 hospitalized, 2 in ICU, none on ventilators, 95 deaths (+0).

Sullivan County yesterday hit a one-day local record of 75 residents testing positive for COVID-19, according to data released by Governor Kathy Hochul today. That came less than a week after the previous record of 69 residents who tested positive on November 24.

The previous daily high for the County was 68 positives on April 16, 2020.

Meanwhile, some of Sullivan's school districts are seeing a surge in positive test results as

Public Health Director Nancy McGraw said yesterday that only 7.6 percent of children have received COVID vaccination shots thus far.

In Liberty, 11 district students and one staff member have tested positive since November 19.

Fallsburg Central School District reported on November 29 that four students at the Junior Senior High School tested positive for COVID-19 and will be required to quarantine. On November 22, the district reported another person tested positive, resulting in 26 additional students who were considered primary exposures and who were required to quarantine. For the second half of November, nearly 40 students had to be quarantined due to potential exposures.

Information from website of Fallsburg Central School District

A statement by the Monticello Central School District posted on November 29 said:

"With increasing rates of COVID-19 and staffing shortages (above), the probability of switches to remote instruction will continue. These are determined on a case-by-case basis, and only done when we do not have enough staff to safely supervise or transport students. "

Yesterday, Undersheriff Eric Chaboty spoke before the Management & Budget Committee of the County Legislature but did not mention anything about a recent outbreak of coronavirus in the jail.

The SullivanTimes reported last week that nearly 20 inmates have recently tested positive and county officials have made no public comment about the situation.

None of the legislators asked Chaboty anything specifically about COVID in the jail and limited their questions to staffing issues.

McGraw, in a video post yesterday afternoon talked about "40 to 50 new cases every day" that started before Thanksgiving and that continued soon after the holiday.

Chart distributed by Governor Kathy Hochul today showing 75 positive cases yesterday, November 30.

Undersheriff Eric Chaboty after speaking at Sullivan County Legislature yesterday.