The level of coronavirus spread within Franklin and Essex counties remains high heading into the holiday season, with the number of new cases reported each day several times higher this year than at this time last year.

The Essex County Health Department on Thursday reported 55 new cases since Monday, bringing the total number of active cases to 130. Most of those new cases — 12 — are in Ticonderoga, but there are also seven cases in North Elba, seven in St. Armand, two in Wilmington and one in Jay. Four of the new cases are staff at the Federal Correctional Institute at Ray Brook prison.

Franklin County Public Health reported 51 new cases on Thursday and 57 new cases on Friday. The total number of active cases countywide, as of Friday, was 280.

As of Wednesday, there were 61 active cases in Tupper Lake, 39 in Harrietstown and 71 in Malone, according to data from FCPH. Eleven of these active cases are inmates at Franklin Correctional, a state prison in Malone.

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Higher numbers

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The rise in cases recently mimics the rise in COVID-19 cases this area saw at this time last year. At that time, public health officials attributed the rise in cases to holiday gatherings.

Last year, by Nov. 1, Franklin County had seen a total of 183 positive cases all year. In the first 19 days of November 2020, the county tallied 131 more cases, nearly matching the total from the previous eight months.

That was before any COVID-19 vaccines were authorized for use in the U.S., back when some travel restrictions and mandatory quarantines for travelers were still in place, and while New York still required masks to be worn indoors. That was also before the highly-contagious delta variant became the dominant strain of the coronavirus in the U.S.

This year, the case numbers are much higher. In the first 18 days of November, Franklin County has added 626 new COVID-19 cases.

Last year, by Nov. 1, Essex County had seen 240 positive cases. In the first 18 days of the month, it tallied 42 more cases.

There were five times as many active COVID-19 cases in Essex County on Thursday, and nearly five times as many in Franklin County, as there were on Nov. 18, 2020.

Last year, in the first two weeks of November, Franklin County recorded its first two COVID-19-related deaths. In the year since, 23 more people have died from the illness in the county.

Essex County has recorded its 40th death from COVID-19 last week.

Adirondack Health spokesman Matt Scollin said Friday that the company’s Adirondack Medical Center hospital in Saranac Lake had two COVID-19 related hospitalizations, including one on a ventilator.

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Vaccine clinics

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Now that children 5 and older are able to get the Pfizer vaccine, there are several clinics planned in Franklin and Essex counties for kids to get their shots.

A clinic at Petrova Elementary School in Saranac Lake is scheduled for today from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saranac Lake Central School District Community Schools Liaison Erika Bezio said this clinic is for 5- to 18-year-olds and no booster shots will be available.

“Students can come from any district. No boosters available at this clinic,” Bezio wrote in an email. “Pre-registration available, walk-ins welcome.”

She said people can call her with questions at 518-897-1467.

A vaccine clinic for children 5 to 11 will be held at the North Elba Show Grounds on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Registrations for this clinic can be made at https://bit.ly/32afI5x.