OSWEGO COUNTY – According to the Oswego County Health Department, as of 3 p.m. today, there have been five additional cases of novel coronavirus (COVID-19) since yesterday. The cumulative reported number is 92 cases across the county and of those, 69 have recovered and three have died.
Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup posted a briefing video today where he discussed safe ways to observe Memorial Day, such as:
Bring flowers to a veteran’s grave.
Take a walk around Oswego County’s own important military sites – Spy Island, Fort Ontario and Fort Brewerton.
Call a soldier or a veteran and thank them for their service.
“If you are spending time with family and friends, bring your own food, try not to congregate indoors, and meet in groups of ten or less,” Weatherup said.
Weatherup was joined by Richard Balch, investigator for Child Protective Services unit of the County Department of Social Services.
Balch spoke about the work the CPS unit does. He said during the first few weeks of the social distancing and quarantine due to the pandemic, CPS experienced a decrease in calls. He said children are not being seen by teachers at school, doctors, after-school or daycare workers, counselors and social workers.
“Those who legally must report abuse and neglect to the [Statewide Central Register of Child Abuse and Maltreatment[1] (SCR)] are no longer a protective factor for vulnerable children,” Balch said. “I have no doubt the coronavirus is keeping children hidden in harms way. It has been much more difficult to combat child abuse. With the reduced number of mandated reporters having direct contact with children due to the coronavirus outbreak, it is a moral imperative that you, the voluntary reporter – our neighbors, friends and relatives – make the call to the SCR. If you have reasonable cause to suspect that a child is being abused or neglected by a parent, guardian or custodian, it is your obligation to make the call.”
Reports can remain anonymous, but the unit prefers for the caller to leave their name and contact information. The caller’s identity cannot be released.
The toll-free number for the SCR is 1-800-342-3720. If you feel the child is in immediate or impending danger, call 911. For services and support, call 211.
After the SCR takes the report, it is sent to the local CPS unit, located at 100 Spring Street in Mexico, New York. The investigation then begins. Amid the pandemic, the investigator now does screening questions related to COVID-19 and take necessary precautions.
Today’s statistics are below.
Oswego County:[2] (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: 20 (yesterday: 15)
Total # of positive cases: 92 (yesterday: 87)
Total recoveries: 69 (no change since yesterday)
Total # of deaths: 3 (no change since yesterday)
Total # people tested: 3,860 (yesterday: 3,701)
Total # of negative results: 3,528 (yesterday: 3,369)
Pending results: No data has been released today. (May 19: 301)
Total # of people in precautionary quarantine: No data has been released today.
Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 107 (yesterday: 91)
Total completed/released from monitoring: No data has been released today. (May 18: 3,058)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): D-[3]
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: [4](as of yesterday)
Total # of positive cases: 358,154 (the day before: 356,458)
Total # of deaths: 23,195 (the day before: 23,083)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): F
Watch today’s briefing given by Governor Andrew Cuomo here[5].
Other updates[6] 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[7].
NYS on PAUSE will continue through May 28 for regions that have not started reopening; a region can enter Phase One of reopening as soon as it meets its required metrics.
Governor Cuomo released a guide[8] to the state’s “NY Forward Reopening” Plan, along with the state’s regional monitoring dashboard[9].
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.
The New York State sales tax filing deadline has been extended to June 22, 2020.
Summer school will be conducted through distance learning.
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 [10]pilot program[11] in 20 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.
In coordination with neighboring states, public and private beaches will open with certain restrictions on May 22, ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
Governor Cuomo issued executive orders 202.17[12] and 202.18[13] requiring all people in New York to wear masks or face coverings in public[14], including when taking public or private transportation or riding in for-hire vehicles.
New York has issued first-in-the-nation criteria[15] to healthcare professionals establishing an interim definition for COVID-related inflammatory illness in children[16].
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.[17]: (as of 2:41 p.m)
Total # of positive cases: 1,590,225 (yesterday: 1,562,714)
Total # of deaths: 95,490 (yesterday: 93,863)
Total # of recoveries: 298,418 (yesterday: 294,312)
Unacast social distancing score (as of today): F
Worldwide:[18] (as of 2:41 p.m.)
Total # of positive cases: 5,168,433 (yesterday: 5,047,377)
Total # of deaths: 335,936 (yesterday: 329,816)
Total # of recoveries: 1,990,963 (yesterday: 1,924,231)
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[19].
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[20]
These videos are briefings given by Oswego County officials Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
City of Oswego Emergency Assistance[21]
Fulton Coronavirus Hotline – 315-895-4767
Fulton COVID-19 updates[22]
Oswego County Health Department [23]
Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 dashboard[24]
New York Department of Health[25]
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention[26]
Unacast Social Distancing Scoreboard[27]
Where to get help with food and general assistance[28]
Oswego County Office for the Aging[29] – 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