Barlow Issues City-Wide Travel Ban, Only Essential Travel Allowed

OSWEGO – Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow held a press conference today at 11:30 a.m. to announce the city is adopting further measures to enforce social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, including a city-wide travel ban.

Barlow announced a ‘Stop the Spread’ Stay at Home Order in the City of Oswego further tightening local efforts to encourage social distancing and limiting person to person interaction.

The ‘Stop the Spread’ Stay at Home Order calls for a local, non-essential travel ban in the city of Oswego, limiting travel to and from work for essential employees only, medical visits or shopping for essential items only.

“We still see people out traveling, going into stores and acting like everything’s alright,” Barlow said. “Everything right now – it’s not business as usual. We shouldn’t see as many cars on the street as we’re seeing and we shouldn’t see people walking around like we’re seeing. We shouldn’t see people going to Walmart and Price Chopper every single day like it’s a family outing and acting as if everything’s okay.”

He said despite the changes the city has made so far, there are still people who are ignoring social distancing, and so the city is implementing further mandates.

“This crisis isn’t about numbers; it’s about people and how government at every level needs to step up to protect people,” Barlow said.

Barlow said a lot of the attention has been on cities with higher populations, but the city of Oswego is just as vulnerable because the community is closer together than larger communities.

“We all use the same schools; we all use the same grocery stores; we all go to the same Walmart; we all travel on the same roads; we all go to the same restaurants; we use the same public amenities,” Barlow said. “And that’s why it’s so important to take social distancing seriously.”

People are still allowed to go for walks while maintaining a distance of 6 feet from others. The parks remain open for this purpose. Barlow later said it is okay for people to go for casual drives without getting out of the car unless it is to an essential travel destination in the list above.

The ‘Stop the Spread’ Order is part of a larger executive order the city of Oswego issued that includes using the Oswego Fire Department, Oswego Police Department and Oswego Code Enforcement to educate the public throughout the community in the coming weeks on the non-essential travel ban, closes city playgrounds, mobilizes a Department of Public Works crew to regularly sanitize public places, closes Wright Landing Marina until at least July 13 and delays the upcoming city-wide styro-foam ban until September 8th.

“We’re continuing to introduce new ways to force social distancing in our community as the number of positive COVID-19 cases in Oswego County continue to increase.  Our new measures will reduce travel, increase enforcement and education, all while continuing our efforts to limit activities, gatherings and the number of people in any one place at one time,” Barlow said.  “We’re actively enforcing our prohibition on mass gatherings and now will focus on unnecessary travel and activities while also coordinating with retail and large stores in the City of Oswego to implement social distancing practices and crowd control,” Barlow said.

Barlow said the Oswego Police and Fire Departments will begin enforcing social distancing measures at larger retail stores in Oswego while the Oswego Police Department will be around the community informing the public on the importance of social distancing.

“Ultimately, if you don’t comply and we see the same red car out joyriding and running in with a family of five to Walmart, a disorderly conduct is ultimately going to be that charge if necessary,” Barlow said.

Other announcements include the complete closure of Oswego City Hall and instructions to watch city government committee and council meetings starting Monday, April 6.

The public is encouraged call the Oswego Police Department at 315-342-8120 or email [email protected] to anonymously report non-essential businesses still open and operating or to report groups of individuals or mass gatherings taking place at nearby residences, parks or other public facilities.

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