Franklin County officials are reporting a recent “spike” in COVID-19 cases that they’re attributing to Halloween. They are asking that everyone wear masks indoors, physically distance from others and meet outside when possible.

“Outside activities are safest but everyone should be aware of their risk and the fact that it could take days to know when someone is positive; this can lead to exposure and illness,” Franklin County Manager Donna Kissane wrote in an email.

On Wednesday, the county reported 40 new COVID-19 cases, the highest number of new cases reported in one day in the past month. On Thursday, the county reported 34 new cases. There are now 183 active cases of COVID-19 reported in the county.

The virus is spreading faster here, now, than it was at this time last year. Last year, in the first week of November, Franklin County Public Health reported 49 new cases of COVID-19. That was before the COVID-19 vaccines, back when some travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines for travelers were still in place, and while New York still required masks to be worn in businesses. But, that was also before the highly-contagious delta variant became the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the U.S. This year, in the first week of November, the department reported 154 new COVID-19 cases.

Currently, Tupper Lake has the most active cases of any town in Franklin County, a statistic village Mayor Paul Maroun said he finds “disturbing.”

“People who don’t want to get vaccinated should rethink it,” Maroun said. “It’s not just about them. It’s about the community.”

Franklin County Public Health data from Monday shows 35 cases in Tupper Lake, 29 in Malone and 26 in Harrietstown. Tupper Lake also had 55 suspected cases, with 36 suspected in Malone and 23 in Harrietstown.

One of the current COVID-19 cases is an inmate at Bare Hill Correctional, a state prison in Malone.

Franklin County reported one new COVID-19 related death last week. The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe also reported two new COVID-19 related deaths last week.

In total, there have been 25 deaths attributed to COVID-19 in Franklin County over the course of the pandemic.

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Essex County

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The Essex County Health Department on Wednesday reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 since Monday. Ten of the new cases are in the town of North Elba. Two are in nursing homes, prisons or other congregate living settings, according to the health department.

There are currently 202 active cases in Essex County.

The county has reported two new deaths in the past week, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths to 39 countywide.

The number of new cases has been increasing rapidly recently in Essex County, too. From Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, 327 cases were reported in Essex County; the week before that, 187 new cases were reported, county Health Department data shows.

Of the 439 people in Essex County who tested positive last month, 61% were unvaccinated, according to a report released by the county Health Department this week. Nearly 40% were among school children or staff. Altogether, 17 people were hospitalized — 13 of those people were unvaccinated. Five people died of COVID-19 or COVID-19 related illness last month, of those, three were not vaccinated.

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Hospital gets a break

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Despite the high number of new cases, Adirondack Health CEO Aaron Kramer said Wednesday was the first day in months that Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake didn’t have any in-house COVID-19 patients.

But the hospital has had record numbers of patients coming to the hospital for care while suffering from the virus recently. Last month, the hospital had six COVID-19 patients at once and one was on a ventilator, the most it had ever cared for at one time.

Adirondack Health Spokesman Matt Scollin said the hospital has seen two deaths from COVID-19 recently.

On Thursday, Adirondack Health reported that 14 residents and three staff members at its Mercy Living Center nursing home in Tupper Lake had tested positive for COVID-19.

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Vaccine clinics

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Counties with the lowest vaccination rates — mostly rural counties — are currently experiencing the highest percentages of tests coming back positive in New York state, the Albany Times-Union reported Monday.

In Essex County, 66.9% of the population is at least partially vaccinated, according to the state Department of Health. In Franklin County, 55.6% of the population has gotten at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Essex County Health Department has scheduled five vaccinations clinics with vaccines available for children, booster shots for those who qualify, and doses for anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated yet.

One of those clinics will be held at the North Elba Show Grounds on Nov. 20 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children ages 5 and over are authorized to get the Pfizer vaccine.

Scollin said Adirondack Health will hold a vaccine clinic for children ages 5 through 11 on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the Adirondack Medical Center Annex Building in Saranac Lake. He said the Pfizer vaccine there will be available for children from any county and is provided at no cost and with no insurance needed.