Mark Poloncarz

COVID-19 cases continue to pile up in Erie County and the death toll continues to rise, with seven county residents dying in just the last week, mostly in nursing homes. That brings the death toll since the pandemic began to 689.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is pleading with young people to behave themselves, because too many of them are getting COVID-19.

More harsh warnings to students, as hundreds of COVID-19 cases close down a SUNY campus for the semester.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is urging citizens to step up and follow the rules to prevent the COVID-19 rate from getting worse than it is.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz says hundreds of gyms, fitness centers and other operations are in danger of being shut down because they didn't follow the rules related to COVID-19.

The Toronto Blue Jays' plans to play games in Buffalo beginning next month may have hit a snag, with Major League Baseball cancelling some games after word that members of the Miami Marlins have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz is blasting New Era for the layoffs announced by the sports cap company one day after its federal jobs subsidies ran out.

A social media feud has been brewing between Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz and Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw over the health and safety of staff in the Rath Building.

The Industrial Land Development Corporation met Monday night for the first time since December and announced progress on redeveloping the former Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna. 

Erie County is continuing to see the gradual slide downwards in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and may have emerged unscathed from people over Memorial Day weekend who shed social distancing rules for sun and heat. County Executive Mark Poloncarz said this means the county is continuing on a path to a Phase Three re-opening, which would allow indoor operations in bars and restaurants, potentially as early as Tuesday.

Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz briefed reporters late Sunday night on what had transpired in the prior 36 hours of violence, vandalism and looting spun off from a protest about the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis Police, while Erie County District Attorney John Flynn promised justice in prosecutions.

Democrats among the Erie County Legislature are calling Comptroller Stefan Mychajliw's declaration of a budget deficit "premature" and even a "power grab," while his office says making such a declaration was their duty under the county charter.

After showing a two-week downward trend in COVID hospitalizations, Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced a disappointing uptick Wednesday. The reversal rules out the possibility of Erie County and its four fellow counties within the state's Western New York Economic Region from entering phase one of reopening when New York's PAUSE order is lifted Friday.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz stated Monday afternoon that the county won't be ready to begin the process of reopening May 15, the last scheduled day of the state's NY PAUSE restrictions. However, he suggested there was a chance the county might be ready by the end of the month — if the public continues to honor physical distancing and other disease prevention rules.

An angry Erie County Executive Poloncarz said Wednesday a segment of the public still doesn't comprehend that the COVID-19 virus is widely circulating and infecting people. He said there are people who seemingly don't believe it's a real issue and live as if there is no risk of being infected. 

Erie County is running out of money and County Executive Mark Poloncarz said there may have to be worker layoffs because he doesn't have the money to keep paying them.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said the continually rising totals of county residents being admitted to hospitals and those dying from the coronavirus mean the crisis locally is far from over.