Coronavirus (Image provided by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

The danger posed by the coronavirus in Franklin County is now higher than it has ever been, and public health officials are asking people to avoid gatherings to prevent the spread.

With 50 active cases reported Saturday — 48 in the county and two more hospitalized in other counties — the number of people infected by the virus more than doubled since Thursday.

Essex County’s last numbers, from Friday, show 11 current cases. The Essex County Health Department usually does not post updates on weekends.

Franklin County’s numbers are higher than in spring when New York was put into lockdown and the globe saw millions of cases early this year.

Over the summer and the fall, state restrictions on people and businesses have loosened. Now, public health officials are asking people to take controlling the spread into their own hands.

“There is currently unprecedented community spread of the virus, primarily between close contacts who interact with each other either just prior to symptom onset, or when symptoms first appear and do not seem serious,” Franklin County Public Health Program Coordinator Erin Streiff wrote in a press release. “Franklin County Public Health recommends avoiding gatherings that include people from different households. Furthermore, it is crucial that people remain home if they feel sick, even if it is just mild symptoms such as a headache or stuffy nose. Staying home when sick is a key measure to reducing spread.”

“It is important to understand that as we see more positive cases, many may have been exposed and not identified,” county Manager Donna Kissane wrote in an email. “The best way to safeguard yourself and others is by physically distancing, wear face coverings, wash and/or sanitize hands and sanitize surfaces.”

“If you think you were exposed to someone who has COVID-19, self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of the exposure,” Streiff wrote. “For contacts identified via contact tracing of confirmed cases, Public Health Staff will reach out to those individuals directly to place them on legal quarantine.”

Franklin County’s data currently shows no cases in three state prisons in Malone — Franklin, Upstate and Bare Hill — where there have been cases in the past.

Franklin County has seen 232 total cases cumulatively since the spring, including tested positive and probable positive cases.

The North Country’s daily percentage of positive test results rose from 1.4% on Thursday to 1.7% on Saturday. Though this is relatively low in relation to the other regions of the state, it is still higher than the Capital Region’s percentage.