Oswego County Investigates Cluster Of COVID-19 Outbreak At Champlain Valley Specialty Of NY, Inc.

OSWEGO COUNTY – The Oswego County Health Department is working closely with the New York State Department of Health to investigate a cluster of new positive COVID-19 cases in Oswego County.

Case investigation and contact tracing is being conducted, and several families and their work locations are currently being investigated.

As of June 15, seven Oswego County residents who work at Champlain Valley Specialty of NY, Inc., a food processing facility in the Town of Oswego, have tested positive.  The county and state health departments are testing all employees for the COVID-19 virus.

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said the investigation is evolving quickly and the number of cases is expected to change based on further testing and follow-up with patient contacts.

The Oswego County Health Department became aware of the outbreak through its ongoing disease investigations and is working closely with the state health department and the facility owners to contact people who may have been exposed.

“The County Health Department is investigating in accordance with state guidance. We are, as usual, doing our due diligence in contact tracing and assisting those newly identified cases, which happen to include both employees and family members of employees,” said Huang.

Dr. Christina Liepke, Oswego County Medical Director, said the employer is cooperating with the health department and is compliant with New York State Department of Health established COVID-19 guidelines including employee social distancing and providing hand sanitizer.

The facility was inspected by the state Department of Agriculture and Markets. The food product does not pose a threat to consumers and does not need to be recalled.

“It appears this cluster was initially transmitted through community spread,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman Jim Weatherup. “Our health department is working closely with the New York State Health Department to ensure all necessary testing, tracing and control measures are in place to effectively control its spread. This is why it’s so important that we all practice social distancing, wear face masks in public, and follow the other state guidelines to prevent further transmission of COVID-19.”

The Oswego County Health Department investigates all positive cases of COVID-19. When appropriate, family members and contacts are also placed in mandatory quarantine or isolation. All known contacts of COVID-19 positive patients are notified.

Health officials urge residents to take these precautions:

• Wear a face mask or covering over your nose and mouth.
• Avoid non-essential gatherings of all types and sizes.
• Keep six feet from other people.
• Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially before eating.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home if you are sick unless you are seeking health care.
• Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
• Call 911 if you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.

Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, chills, repeated shaking with chills, gastrointestinal illness and new loss of taste or smell.

Residents are asked to continue monitoring reliable sources of information. Go to oswegocounty.com or health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19 for the latest news releases, daily updates and video presentations.

Additional questions can be directed to the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.

Oswego County presents videos highlighting various COVID-19 topics on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They are scheduled to be posted by 4:30 p.m. on Oswego County’s COVID-19 play list on YouTube, Facebook and the county government web site at oswegocounty.com.

*Press release from Oswego County.

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