Erie County residents who test positive for Covid-19 at home are being asked to report the result to the county Department of Health through an online form that went live on Wednesday.
The online form is available at www3.erie.gov/covid/form/form-to-report-a-positive-covid-.
Meanwhile, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown urged everyone planning to attend the New Year's Eve ball drop to be vaccinated and to wear masks, though he said those guidelines won't be enforced.
"It is important we have an accurate view of Covid in our region, and reporting these results helps us to do it," County Executive Mark Poloncarz said Wednesday on Twitter.
Those who test positive at home should isolate themselves. County health officials encourage them to take a follow-up PCR or another laboratory-based test, especially if symptomatic or a close contact of someone with Covid-19.
"The rapid test may not tell the whole story, but it's a great tool to use. It's a great screening tool, but, especially if you're asymptomatic, it may miss infection," County Health Commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said Tuesday during the county's weekly Covid-19 briefing. "So it's really important to follow up with a PCR test."
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On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut the isolation period for those who test positive for Covid-19 but are asymptomatic from 10 days to five. It did the same for the quarantine time for those who have come into close contact with a person who has Covid-19.
The change comes in the middle of a surge in Covid-19 cases driven in large part because of the highly contagious Omicron variant.
Rapid Covid-19 tests available for home use can be valuable for people to check for infection prior to gathering with friends and family.
2021, which began with such optimism as a vaccine became available, saw the holiday season arrive with a record number of Covid-19 cases in Erie County on Thursday.
But the at-home tests are not as sensitive as PCR or other molecular diagnostic tests, Burstein said.
"So if it's negative, it just gives you a snapshot of one point in time," she said, encouraging follow-up testing.
The county Health Department has more information about isolating and quarantining on its website.
Public health officials say the best action a person can take to combat Covid-19 is to get a vaccine, or a booster if already vaccinated.
News Staff Reporter Maki Becker contributed to this report.
