#New York Health Department probes potential coronavirus exposure at upstate church

ALBANY — The state Health Department is investigating a “potential” coronavirus exposure associated with a Catholic Church in Upstate New York.

Catholics who attended mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Ticonderoga in upstate’s Essex County on Sunday, June 21 at 9 A.M might have been exposed, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.

“An initial investigation found that an individual who was present at the service tested positive for COVID-19 following exposure to an individual who contracted the virus in Florida,” the third-term Democrat said in a statement.

“The individual from Essex County is adhering to appropriate self-isolation measures, and there have been no additional known exposures related to this religious service.”

The DOH set aside testing Tuesday afternoon for the people who were in attendance at the Ticonderoga Elementary/Middle School.

“State DOH and the Essex County Health Department are working with officials from St. Mary’s to identify all individuals who attended the service and any subsequent gatherings where they may have been exposed,” Cuomo added.

The state did not provide details regarding how many individuals were potentially exposed but according to the Empire State’s reopening guidance, religious gatherings are limited to 33 percent regular capacity once a region has entered Phase 3 and beyond.

The North Country is currently in Phase 4 of New York’s economic reopening, and would have been in Phase 3 at the time of exposure.

The state’s contact tracing program will also be reaching out to those exposed.