As of June 15th, 2021, Schuyler County, NY has the highest Covid19 infection rate in NY State, with a rate of 6.4 confirmed cases per 100,000 of population.  That active infection rate is more than double the same day rates in the New York City Metro area, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester or Buffalo. The rate could also be substantially higher than that, as Schuyler County has only one  hospital, and the Schuyler County public health website only lists three Covid19 testing sites in the whole county, and then asks residents to “call around” to see if their nearest CVS store is still doing testing. According to the New York State Covid19 Vaccination Tracker website, just over 50% of adults in Schuyler County are fully vaccinated against Covid 19. This suggests that the actual case rate may be much higher than the 6.4 per 100,000 rate that’s currently reported.

Schuyler County presents an interesting case as it is typical of many towns in Upstate, NY.  Part of the county surrounds the lower third of Seneca Lake, and is filled with waterfront estates, with the affluent town of Watkins Glen right at the southern point of Seneca Lake. Less than a mile away from the waterfront, it turns into farm country, and the area is deeply conservative. In the 2016 Presidential election, Trump beat Clinton in Schuyler County 57% to 35%. The people that live in the area are essentially two entirely separate communities: the affluent “Lakers” and the farmers that surround them. Although more granular data about vaccinations is not currently available, if the area is consistent with national trends, then (given the rate of just over 50% being fully vaccinated) we would expect the “Laker” community has a vaccination rate of 80 to 90%, while the Farmer community is much lower, leading to an acceleration in new infections among the unvaccinated. Schuyler County, NY could be a leading indicator of what to expect in rural areas all over the United States.