Putnam could face COVID-19 yellow zone as testing positivity rate soars, county says

Putnam County continues to see a high rate of COVID-19 spread, with the county recording a testing positivity rate of 6.3% Sunday. 

It was the second time in three days the county surpassed a positivity rate of 6%. The county health department warned Friday that if the positivity rate stays above 3.5% for 10 days, Putnam could be designated a yellow precautionary zone by the state. 

The positivity rate was 3% Saturday with 19 new daily cases and 6.4% Friday with 43 new cases, according to the state tracker. 

The Putnam health department said in an email Friday it requested a breakdown of cases by zip code from the state. A spokesperson said Monday the county has not received further information. 

In a yellow zone, businesses would remain open, but indoor and outdoor dining is limited to four people per table, houses of worship can only operate at 50% capacity and gatherings are limited to 25 people maximum, indoor or outdoor. Schools would need to test 20% of students and staff weekly to stay open. 

"Putnam residents have come too far to go back," the health department said in a Facebook post. "Please continue to wear your mask, keep your distance, wash your hands and avoid gatherings with people outside of your household." 

The county recorded 208 cases and a positivity rate of 5.1% over the seven days leading up to Sunday, according to the state tracker. 

Since March, 2,186 residents have been sickened with the virus and 64 COVID-19 deaths have occurred. 

David Propper covers New Rochelle and the shore towns. Reach him at dpropper@lohud.com and follow him on Twitter: dg_props. Our local coverage is only possible with support from our readers.