[JK: This post has been edited to correct an error. I reported that four people were infected by the new strain of the COVID virus. Only one person tested positive for this new strain and that person is recovering.]
Area and national newspapers and TV stations are reporting that an employee of N. Fox Jewelers on Broadway in Saratoga Springs is the first person in New York to show a positive test result for the new, more virulent form of the Covid virus. Three more employees of the jeweler tested positive for the virus but there is no record that these employees were infected by the new strain.
The Times Union report quoted Governor Andrew Cuomo regarding the development that “It’s about contact tracing. This U.K. strain is reported to be 70 percent more contagious.”
Public Safety Commissioner Robin Dalton is quoted in the article as saying “We are at the mercy of the county. We work well with them. We are following all of the New York state regulations. We are following the governor very closely and making sure we are following every safety protocol.”
Unfortunately, the TU also reported that “On Monday afternoon, Saratoga County officials had not said what their plans are, if any, to contain the new strain of the virus.”
According to the Times Union, “The county also has the region’s second-highest positivity rate at 11 percent.”
Saratoga Springs Politics 
Yet to come out is that a New Jersey couple staying at a Saratoga Hotel all last week had the husband test positive yesterday upon returning to New Jersey. Name of the Saratoga Hotel is not known as yet!! Fun times in Saratoga still to come!
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Spencer Helwig will make the correct decisions to use all the county resources to protect himself.
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N Fox issued a press release. Apparently they disagree with what has been reported in the media.
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Do you know where I can find the release?
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Saw it in the headline of the TU on internet. I am not a subscriber so was not able to read the full article.
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John- I just want you to have accurate information. At this point only one employee is confirmed to have tested positive for the variant and that test was done on December 23. The person is fully recovered. We are working with the county and state health departments to see if anyone else is affected.
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Thank you Cassie. I will edit my story and post a correction advising readers of the error. I feel terrible for what you and your husband are enduring. I know from multiple sources that you both have acted responsibly to protect both your employees and the public.
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