OSWEGO COUNTY – Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup posted his biweekly video today, updating the public on COVID-19 and things happening in the county.
In today’s video, he discussed the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the county, recommendation of wearing a face covering indoors regardless of vaccination status, students returning to the SUNY Oswego campus, and the Children’s Museum of Oswego.
“The Delta variant of the coronavirus continues to dominate our conversations as new cases of COVID-19 continue to increase,” Weatherup said. “The number of new positive cases, active cases, and isolation/quarantine cases have all doubled in the last week.”
This increase has moved Oswego County’s transmission risk level to ‘substantial’ (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.)
“Following [the CDC’s] guidance, we highly recommend vaccinated and unvaccinated people to wear face masks at their workplace and all indoor public spaces they visit or patronize,” Weatherup said.
He said the current practices will remain in place at Oswego County facilities. Masks are recommended, but not required for employees and members of the public who are fully vaccinated, and those who are not vaccinated must still wear a face covering and social distance.
Weatherup said being vaccinated makes a big difference in serious illnesses and hospitalization for Oswego County residents. He said local data shows you are 22x more likely to become infected with the virus if you are not fully vaccinated.
“Of the county residents tested positive for COVID-19 between March and July, only 0.13% were fully vaccinated residents compared to 2.8% who are not, and of those who are fully vaccinated, most either had mild or no symptoms at all,” Weatherup said.
As of today, 64.7% of Oswego County residents aged 18 and older have received at least one dose of the vaccine, and 59,804 residents have completed the vaccine series.
He urged those who have not yet gotten the vaccine to do so.
The Oswego County Health Department will hold two more vaccination clinics this week.
The first will be held in conjunction with the County Office for the Aging’s Senior Picnic on Wednesday, Aug. 11. From 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., the County’s mobile vaccination trailer will be in Breitbeck Park in Oswego and health department staff will administer the Pfizer vaccine to anyone who is eligible. It is a two-dose series, so those who attend should plan to return to the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego on Wednesday, Sept. 1 for their second shot.
The second clinic is also planned for Wednesday, Aug. 11. From 1 to 5:30 p.m., health staff will administer the Pfizer vaccine to those aged 12 years and over at the Nick Sterio Public Health Clinic, 70 Bunner St., Oswego. This is a two-dose vaccine, so those who attend should plan to return on Wednesday, Sept. 1 for their second shot.
For more information about COVID-19 vaccines, click on the “Fact Sheet” link for each one at https://covid19vaccine.health.ny.gov/.
Walk-ins are welcomed, though appointments and online pre-registration are still appreciated. Call 315-349-3330 to make an appointment or go to https://health.oswegocounty.com/ and click on the link “For Local Information About the COVID-19 Vaccination.”
With students returning to the SUNY Oswego campus for the fall semester in just a few weeks, Weatherup took some time to welcome students and looks forward to continuing the partnership with the college.
He said the college is a valued member of the county’s community as it provides residents and non-residents with education, demonstrates exemplary civic service, is an integral part of the county’s economy – a $179.4 million impact – and employs nearly 5,000 full-time and part-time staff and student workers. He said 62% of non-student employees live in Oswego County.
He then moved on to discuss CMOO in the City of Oswego, which offers interactive exhibits for children aged 12 and younger. The “Tourism Tip of the Week” is to visit www.cmoo.org to learn more about the museum.
Lastly, he wished Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul luck as she steps up as the state’s next governor.
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