OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup today posted his biweekly video updating the community on what is going on in the county.
In today’s video, he addressed a spike in COVID-19 cases, due in part to the Delta variant of the virus, a national marine sanctuary initiative, and the county’s Restaurant Recovery Program.
“It is more easily transmitted than other strains and unvaccinated people who are infected with it are twice as likely to need hospitalization than those infected with prior strains,” Weatherup said. “In this ongoing fight, vaccine is the best weapon we have to contain the virus. Data shows it is effective in preventing death from COVID-19, and among all coronavirus deaths, over 99% were unvaccinated or under vaccinated patients. Deaths of those who contracted the virus after vaccination is just .0007%.”
As of today 63.6% of Oswego County residents aged 18 and over have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 59,108 residents have completed the vaccine series.
There are three vaccination clinics this week.
The first two clinics will be held on Wednesday, July 28 at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego:
- From 1 to 3 p.m., health staff will administer the Pfizer vaccine to those aged 12 years and above. It is a two-dose series, so those who attend should plan to return on Wednesday, Aug. 18 for their second shot.
- From 4 to 5:30 p.m., health staff will administer the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine, which is a single dose shot, to those aged 18 years and above.
The third clinic will be held on Thursday, July 29 at the Sandy Creek Fire Department, 6026 S. Main St., Sandy Creek:
- From 4 to 7:30 p.m., individuals can choose either the Pfizer or the Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Those who choose the Pfizer vaccine should plan to return on Thursday, Aug. 19 for their second shot.
Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are appreciated. Go to https://health.oswegocounty.com/ and click on the link for “Local Information About the COVID-19 Vaccination.”
Weatherup also discussed an initiative to designate portions of eastern Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River as a national marine sanctuary based on over three centuries of historic shipwrecks and at least one submerged aircraft.
This initiative began four years ago when Oswego County and the City of Oswego joined Wayne, Jefferson and Cayuga counties to apply for designation of a 1,786 square mile area in eastern Lake Ontario and the Thousand Island region of the St. Lawrence River as a national marine sanctuary.
“Eastern Lake Ontario is considered one of the most historically significant regions of the Great Lakes,” Weather said. “Having this area designated as one of only 15 national marine sanctuaries in the world will draw international recognition, increase opportunities for tourism and recreation, support cultural and scientific research, educational programs, and boost our regional economy.”
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the draft proposal earlier this month and is requesting public feedback. Go to www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/lake-ontario to learn more and submit your comment.
Weatherup then discussed Oswego County’s Restaurant Recovery Program, deeming it a success. The program, which has now come to a close, launched at 1 p.m. last Friday and in less than seven hours, 5,170 vouchers were downloaded.
Customers will now have until Friday, August 6 to redeem their vouchers.
The program was funded by the Oswego County Legislature through the American Rescue Plan to help local restaurants recover from financial loss from the pandemic. More than 60 restaurants across the county participated.
Lastly, the “Tourism Tip of the Week” is to go to www.visitoswegocounty.com to learn more about the extraordinary fisheries in our backyard.
“Few areas in the northeast can match the quality and diversity of our fisheries, which bring in anglers from across the region and around the world to land the next record catch,” Weather said.
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