Franklin County Public Health reported nearly 900 active COVID-19 cases countywide on Wednesday, marking the second time this week the county has reported a new record high number of active cases at one time. The state Department of Health also reported two more COVID-related deaths in Franklin County on Wednesday, and all three of county’s state prisons are currently experiencing outbreaks of the virus.

In total, COVID-19 has now killed 35 Franklin County residents.

On Wednesday, there were 898 active COVID-19 cases reported by Franklin County, 117 of those cases were confirmed by PCR tests and 52 by at-home tests. Almost 2% of the county’s population of around 48,000 people is now in isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.

There are coronavirus outbreaks at three state prisons in Malone — Franklin County Public Health reported 18 cases at Franklin Correctional, eight at Bare Hill Correctional and seven at Upstate Correctional.

The county is no longer breaking its COVID-19 data down on a town-by-town map, at least for now. The Public Health department’s methods of gathering and processing data have changed as the number of cases surges, continuing to outpace the department’s ability to keep up.

The Essex County Health Department reported 255 new COVID-19 cases found on Monday and Tuesday.

“Our daily case totals include both lab-confirmed positive test results and positive at-home tests reported to our website,” ECHD Program Coordinator Andrea Whitmarsh explained in an email.

In total, 56 Essex County residents have died from COVID-19 throughout the pandemic, three so far in 2022.

Whitmarsh said on Tuesday that though the county has changed its methods for delivering isolation orders for those who test positive, staff are focusing their efforts on reducing spread among the vulnerable and congregating.

“We are still reaching out to as many cases as possible, prioritizing those vulnerable to severe illness and anyone in congregate settings, like schools, daycares, etc.,” she wrote.

There’s currently a coronavirus outbreak at the Federal Corrections Institute at Ray Brook. Statistics from the Federal Bureau of Prisons show that 69 inmates and four staff were considered active positive cases on Wednesday.

The facility has 853 inmates currently residing there, according to its website.

FCI Ray Brook is currently in the “Level 3” tier, the most intense level for COVID-19 safety restrictions. Visitations have been suspended at the facility. Everyone is required to wear a mask and socially distance at all times. Staff do daily symptom screenings and temperature checks when they get to work.

Five people with COVID-19 were hospitalized at Adirondack Medical Center in Saranac Lake on Wednesday, with one on a ventilator, according to Adirondack Health.

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A former version of this story incorrectly stated that there were nearly 900 new cases in Franklin County on Wednesday. There were nearly 900 active cases and 169 new cases. The Enterprise regrets the error.