CHENANGO COUNTY - The Chenango County Public Health Department is bracing for another possible wave of COVID-19 cases as signs of the intensifying Delta variant ramp up in rural New York.

The department’s seen just a mild influx of cases in recent days - only three new cases reported Monday morning and 14 active cases on Tuesday, according to Public Health Director Marcas Flindt.

Nevertheless, the department is continuing education outreach to get locals to roll up their sleeves for a COVID vaccination, stating that a new wave would likely be most impactful to those who haven’t gotten the shot.

“We’re not having a problem yet, but it’s still here,” Flindt said Monday at a meeting of the county’s Health and Human Services Committee. “If, and hopefully it doesn’t at all, but if and when we get the next wave coming through Chenango County, it will certainly be an epidemic of the unvaccinated.”

Flindt pointed to an uptick of COVID-positive cases in U.S. southern states, where vaccination numbers are lagging even while the Delta variant is spreading. Likewise, in Chenango County, vaccinations and clinics are dwindling and the curve of vaccination rates has plateaued. That, Flindt said, presents a slew of challenges for his department.