OSWEGO – A panel of professionals, city and county officials held a press conference today, Mar. 4, at the East Side Fire Station to address the recent outbreak of COVID-19, also known as the Coronavirus.
Those on the panel included:
- Oswego Mayor Billy Barlow
- SUNY Oswego Director of Student Health Services Angie Brown
- Oswego Police Department Homeland Security Director Chief Phillip Cady
- District 15 County Legislator Nate Emmons
- Oswego Fire Department Emergency Management Director Chief Randy Griffin
- Oswego Health Director of Infection Prevention and Environmental Services Terri Hammill
- Oswego Fire Department Deputy Chief Emergency Management Justin Norfleet
- Oswego County Health Department Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg
- Oswego Health Chief Medical Officer Duane Tull
- and SUNY Oswego Chief Communications Officer Wayne Westervelt.
In the introduction to the discussion, Barlow asked Oswego citizens to wash their hands, use disinfectant spray, use hand sanitizer, not just as a precaution of the new virus or influenza, but as a basic daily practice.
“We ask that people kind of self track,” Barlow said. “Be cognizant of where you’re going, what you’re doing, who you’re interacting with.”
He said employers should also make a continuity plan in case its employees cannot come in due to illness or there is a shortage on certain supplies.
The city government is taking proactive steps. Barlow said it has directed county 911 to screen their calls so emergency responders can have more information on the situation they are walking in to.
The fire department has stocked up on impervious gowns and face masks. The city has also coordinated with Oswego Health and the county health department to review response plans.
At city hall, the mayor has instructed all city employees to frequently wash their hands and disinfect their work area. The city will not charge employees sick time whatsoever if they contract COVID-19, regardless if it was contracted outside of work.
“If they have to be out or quarantined for an extended period of time, beyond what they’ve already accrued for sick leave, we will not dock them and they’ll still get paid,” Barlow said. “I think that’s the right thing to do and I’m happy to do that for our employees.”
Hammill recommended if you have symptoms of the virus to call ahead to your doctors office or hospital to let them know you are coming in and to wear a face mask to protect those around you.
“Infection prevention is my job, but it is everybody’s responsibility and that includes our community members,” Hammill said.
She said beyond just washing your hands, there is a proper way to do so – scrub your hands with soap and hot water for 20 seconds, dry your hands off with a paper towel then use that paper towel to turn off the faucet.
Additionally, she said to pay attention to instructions on disinfectant sprays and how long it takes for it to kill the bacteria.
Since Oswego is home to SUNY Oswego, many students coming from Downstate, the college has also begun taking precautions. Westervelt said the college has cancelled all Spring Break trips associated with the school, not just including destinations in affected countries.
“We’ve already brought back three of our students from Italy that were studying their semester abroad program and we’re in ongoing conversation with SUNY and the governor’s office regarding some additional countries and bringing some additional students home from CDC level two and level three countries,” Westervelt said.
He also said college President Deborah Stanley has created a COVID-19 taskforce to create a continuity plan in the event of an outbreak.
View the entire press conference in the video below.
For more information on COVID-19, visit the Oswego County Health Department’s website. For updates on where confirmed cases are, click here. There are currently two confirmed cases in New York, none of which are in Oswego County.
