OSWEGO, NY – “Just because there needs to be some physical distance between us, doesn’t mean we need to be completely removed from one another.” That is Dr. Christina Liepke’s message in a video released this morning to Oswego County residents.
Dr. Liepke, Medical Director for the Oswego County Health Department, teamed up with Jamie Leszczynski, Senior Director of Communications for Oswego Health, to discuss the challenges that people are facing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The video is posted at https://youtu.be/Ppr9h6XC_nY
Public health leaders are urging all residents of all ages to take personal responsibility and follow preventive guidelines to stay home as much as possible.
COVID-19 cases have been identified in the cities of Fulton and Oswego as well as the towns of Constantia, Hastings, Richland, Schroeppel and West Monroe.
The County Health Department’s investigations show that COVID-19 is now spreading in the community and is not only being brought in through other virus-infected areas.
“While social distancing, this time of being physically apart from each other, has been difficult for all of us, it will not be for nothing,” said Dr. Liepke. “We knew this day would come, when Oswego County would be affected by community spread of COVID 19, and it is here. But I want to remind you, unlike hard hit areas in Italy and New York City, we were fortunate enough to have our schools closed and our social distancing started before we saw community spread.”
Dr. Liepke said social distancing is as simple as staying at home and limiting trips to the store.
“Please keep at a minimum six feet of distance between you and others,” she said. “That means if your children want to play outside with their friends, that’s ok, but encourage games of frisbee and tennis or other activities that help keep a safe distance. You can continue relationships with friends and family by video chatting or FaceTiming or maybe even writing a letter. Just because there needs to be some physical distance between us, doesn’t mean we need to be completely removed from one another.”
Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang urges all residents across Oswego County to follow these guidelines to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
– Stay home as much as possible.
– Avoid non-essential gatherings of all types and sizes. (All non-essential gatherings of any size are banned.)
– 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
– 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 urgent care or an emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.
– Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
“It’s imperative that we all follow the important measures I’ve outlined here,” said Huang. “Social distancing will help to slow the spread of the virus in our community and limit your chance of exposure.”
Residents are asked to continue monitoring reliable sources of information. Go to https://health.oswegocounty.com/information/2019_novel_coronavirus/index.php for the latest news releases, daily updates, and video presentations or visit oswegocounty.com or health.ny.gov or cdc.gov.
Oswego County presents videos highlighting various COVID-19 topics on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. They are scheduled to be posted by 4:30 p.m. on Oswego County’s COVID-19 YouTube playlist, Facebook and the county government website at oswegocounty.com.
Additional questions can be directed to the NYS COVID-19 hotline at 1-888-364-3065 or the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330.