Oswego County Health Department Warns Of Potential COVID-19 Exposure At Oswego TJ Maxx, 5 Points Convenience Store

by Contributor | September 28, 2020 3:58 pm

OSWEGO – The Oswego County Health Department is investigating two confirmed cases of COVID-19 at two Oswego stores.

An employee at T.J. Maxx, 137 NYS Rte. 104, and an employee at 5 Points Convenience Store, 1 Washington Blvd, each tested positive for COVID-19.

Customers who visited T.J. Maxx on the following dates may have been exposed to the virus:

• Tuesday, Sept. 22 between 9 a.m. and 5:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 23 between 1 and 8 p.m.
• Thursday, Sept. 24 between 9 and 11:30 a.m.

Customers who visited 5 Points Convenience Store on the following dates may have been exposed to the virus:

• Monday, Sept. 21 between noon and 4:30 p.m.
• Wednesday, Sept. 23 between 3 and 9:30 p.m.

Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang said any customer who visited the stores during those hours should monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19 for 14 days after the date of their visit. Symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath and gastrointestinal illness.

“The location was made public because our investigation shows there is a possibility of exposure to members of the public whom we could not track down,” Huang said. “This is consistent with our policy of notifying the public when investigations of positive cases determine there is a possibility that people who couldn’t be identified or contacted may have been exposed.”

Huang said that people experiencing COVID symptoms should call their health care provider from home. People should not go to emergency departments unless they are experiencing life-threatening symptoms.

For more information on COVID-19 testing, call the Oswego County COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Oswego County officials said it is imperative for everyone to wear a face covering, practice social distancing and take personal responsibility for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

“Social distancing will help reduce the spread of the virus and limit your chance of exposure,” Huang said. “That’s why it is so important that we all follow the crucial measures I’ve outlined below.”

• Stay home as much as possible.
• Wear a face mask or covering over your nose and mouth.
• Avoid non-essential gatherings of all types.
• 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.
• Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.
• Do not go to an emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.

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, updates and video presentations. For more information go to cdc.gov.

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 Tuesday afternoons. They are posted on Oswego County’s COVID-19 playlist on YouTube, Facebook and the county government website at oswegocounty.com.

New York State provides online links to report violations of health and safety restrictions and requirements for businesses, gatherings and individuals. To file a complaint about a business, location or incident in your community, go to https://mylicense.custhelp.com/app/ask. To file a complaint against your employer or place of work, go to https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/coronavirus-complaints.shtm.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the sole local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response over all persons and entities within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response and reporting.

Source URL: https://oswegocountytoday.com/news/oswego/oswego-county-health-department-warns-of-potential-covid-19-exposure-at-oswego-tj-maxx-5-points-convenience-store/

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