OSWEGO COUNTY – According to the Oswego County Health Department, as of 3 p.m. today, there have been two additional cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) since yesterday. The cumulative reported number is 87 cases across the county and of those, 69 have recovered and three have died.
Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup reviewed the criteria for the first phase of reopening Oswego County and what it means for local businesses during a video briefing today.
“It doesn’t mean that you can just hang a sign on a door, open your doors to customers, employees, and hand out masks to those who don’t have them,” Weatherup said. “Businesses must develop a reopening safety plan, certified to the state that they have met that obligation, share it with their employees and have it available at their place of business for the public and any regulatory officials who may wish to view it.”
This plan entails what business owners are going to do to keep their employees and customers safe. Weatherup said there must be enough space for customers and employees, proper sanitation and a plan of procedure responding to coronavirus in the place of business, among other requirements. He said the state is tracking who has and has not filed a safety plan.
“We do not want Oswego County to be holding up the region in in-compliance,” Weatherup said.
Information on guidance for businesses can be found here[1]. This directory of resources is updated daily, according to Weatherup.
In regards to the upcoming Memorial Day weekend, Weatherup said Governor Andrew Cuomo gave permission for public beaches to open at half-capacity, but not all of them are ready. In Oswego County, Weatherup said he does not expect Selkirk Shores[2] or Sandy Island Beach[3] to be open for swimming until July.
Weatherup said large gatherings are the easiest way to spread COVID-19 and should be avoided. He said community transmission is still occurring.
Today’s statistics are below.
Oswego County:[4] (as of 3 p.m.) Note, the total number of positive cases is cumulative and the number of recoveries and deaths are of those numbers.
Total # of active cases: 15 (yesterday: 13)
Total # of positive cases: 87 (yesterday: 85)
Total recoveries: 69 (no change since yesterday)
Total # of deaths: 3 (no change since yesterday)
Total # people tested: 3,552 (yesterday: 3,350)
Total # of negative results: 3,206 (yesterday: 2,955)
Pending results: No data has been released today. (yesterday: 301)
Total # of people in precautionary quarantine: No data has been released today.
Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 87 (yesterday: 77)
Total completed/released from monitoring: No data has been released today. (May 18: 3,058)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): D-[5]
All known contacts of COVID-19 positive patients are being notified. In the event that a known case had public exposure when they were contagious, such as someone who worked in a restaurant, the county health department would alert citizens through the news media and social media.
Areas With Cases (alphabetical order):
COVID-19 has been identified in the cities of Fulton and Oswego and the towns of Boylston, Constantia, Granby, Hastings, Mexico, Minetto, New Haven, Orwell, Oswego, Palermo, Redfield, Richland, Sandy Creek, Schroeppel, Scriba, Volney, West Monroe and Williamstown.
The county does not release the town/city of individual cases. If there has been a new case and a new area has not been added, that means it is in an area that has already been affected before. Once an area is added it is not removed from the list because the county does not say when a town/city no longer has a case.
New York: [6](as of yesterday)
Total # of positive cases: 354,370 (the day before: 352,845)
Total # of deaths: 22,976 (the day before: 22,843)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): D-
Watch today’s briefing given by Governor Andrew Cuomo here[7].
Other updates[8] from the state include:
Capital Region, Western New York, Central New York, North County, Finger Lakes, Southern Tier and Mohawk Valley Regions have met all seven metrics required to begin phase one of the state’s regional phased reopening plan[9].
Governor Cuomo released a guide[10] to the state’s “NY Forward Reopening” Plan, along with the state’s regional monitoring dashboard[11].
New York State has doubled testing capacity to reach 40,000 diagnostic tests per day, and has more than 700 testing sites. We encourage eligible New Yorkers to find a nearby testing site and get tested.
New Yorkers can vote for finalists in the Wear a Mask New York Ad Contest through Memorial Day at WearAMask.ny.gov.
New York State is partnering with SOMOS to establish 28 additional testing sites at churches and community-based providers in predominately minority neighborhoods.
All local governments are directed to expand testing in low-income communities and develop outreach programs.
Religious gatherings of no more than 10 people and drive-in and parking lot services will be allowed statewide beginning Thursday, May 21.
A two-week hospital visitation pilot program[12] in 16 hospitals across the state will allow increased visitations for family members and loved ones.
Memorial Day ceremonies of 10 people or less will be allowed statewide, with final decisions about ceremonies being left to local governments.
Testing efforts will be increased to help nursing homes meet guidelines stating all staff be tested for COVID-19 twice per week.
Governor Cuomo called on the FDA to ensure that pharmaceutical corporations that produce a COVID-19 vaccine release the rights to provide the vaccine for immediate widespread distribution.
In coordination with neighboring states, public and private beaches will open with certain restrictions on May 22, ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Horse racing tracks statewide and Watkins Glen International Racetrack will be allowed to open without fans as of June 1.
Governor Cuomo issued executive orders 202.17[13] and 202.18[14] requiring all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public[15], including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles.
New York has issued first-in-the-nation criteria[16] to healthcare professionals establishing an interim definition for COVID-related inflammatory illness in children[17].
New Yorkers without health insurance can apply through NY State of Health through June 15, 2020; must apply within 60 days of losing coverage.
Health care workers can text NYFRONTLINE to 741-741 to access 24/7 emotional support services.
New Yorkers can call the COVID-19 Emotional Support Hotline at 1-844-863-9314 for mental health counseling.
Testing is free for all eligible New Yorkers as ordered by a health care provider.
U.S.[18]: (as of 3:32 p.m)
Total # of positive cases: 1,541,110 (yesterday: 1,520,029)
Total # of deaths: 92,712 (yesterday: 91,187)
Total # of recoveries: 289,392 (yesterday: 283,178)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): D-
Worldwide:[19] (as of 3:32 p.m.)
Total # of positive cases: 4,955,312 (yesterday: 4,872,308)
Total # of deaths: 325,810 (yesterday: 321,593)
Total # of recoveries: 1,874,998 (yesterday: 1,671,375)
For information on symptoms, diagnostic testing, antibody testing, childhood inflammatory disease related to COVID-19, or other COVID-19 related topics, visit the Oswego County Health Department’s COVID-19 page[20].
Resources:
Oswego County COVID-19 Hotline: 315-349-3330
New York Mental Health Hotline: 1-844-863-9314
Oswego COVID-19 Mental Health and Crisis Hotline: 315-343-5507
Oswego County YouTube Updates[21]
These videos are briefings given by Oswego County officials Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
City of Oswego Emergency Assistance[22]
Fulton Coronavirus Hotline – 315-895-4767
Fulton COVID-19 updates[23]
Oswego County Health Department [24]
Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 dashboard[25]
New York Department of Health[26]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[27]
Unacast Social Distancing Scoreboard[28]
Where to get help with food and general assistance[29]
Oswego County Office for the Aging[30] – 315-349-3484
pilot program: https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/amid-ongoing-covid-19-pandemic-governor-cuomo-announces-seventh-region-hits-benchmark-begin#pilotprogram
Oswego County Health Department : https://health.oswegocounty.com/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/index.php
Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 dashboard: https://coronavirus-oswegocounty.hub.arcgis.com/
New York Department of Health: https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/home
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html
Unacast Social Distancing Scoreboard: https://www.unacast.com/covid19/social-distancing-scoreboard
Where to get help with food and general assistance: https://www.oco.org/employee-portal/updated-food-resources-in-oswego-county-4-8-2020?fbclid=IwAR1kEbu_-tbBd8sW6BCuQhD6i3lLD1Gd92Vm5DXlxuzxDWMrTD2Hz7kN_EE
Oswego County Office for the Aging: https://www.oswegocounty.com/departments/human_services/office_for_the_aging/index.php