OSWEGO, NY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, Dec. 10, that 57 additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases to 2,471.
He also announced the death of an Oswego County resident.
“We are sad to report that we have lost another county resident to COVID-19,” said Huang. “This marks the sixth confirmed coronavirus-related death of an Oswego County resident. I would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of this patient for their loss.”
Huang said there have been recent discrepancies in the numbers of COVID-related deaths reported by the County and State Health Departments, and the County is working to determine the reasons for the discrepancies.
“The County Health Department reports are based on death certificates and medical examiners’ reports of Oswego County residents only,” he said. “The discrepancies and the time delay in reporting deaths between the county and state dashboards are likely due to the way the information is being relayed to the state by hospitals, nursing homes, and adult care facilities. At the same time, the County’s data is based on death certificates from towns and cities and reports from medical examiners.
“Unfortunately, as the virus spreads in our county, there will be more hospitalizations and more lives lost among our residents,” said Huang. “We are collaborating with hospitals, nursing homes, and adult care facilities in the County on providing accurate and timely reports.”
County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup said the health department is tracking many clusters of cases among family members who live in different households.
“Social gatherings are a major factor in spreading the coronavirus,” said Weatherup. “We need everyone to follow the advice of the Health Department, practice preventative measures and comply with isolation and quarantine rules.”
This report is current as of 3 p.m. Dec. 10.
Please know that these numbers fluctuate frequently. Recovered people are not deducted from the total number of positive cases.
– Total # of tests conducted: 89,064
– Total # of positive cases: 2,471
– Total # of positive cases released: 1,875
– Total deaths: 6
– Total # of positive cases active: 591
– Total # of negative results: 86,143
– Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 1,262
“Patients may receive their test results before they are transmitted to the Health Department,” said Senior Public Health Educator Diane Oldenburg. “If you test positive for COVID-19, you must stay home and isolate yourself from others in your household. This means staying in a separate room by yourself, using a separate bathroom if possible and disinfecting it after each use. You must stay six feet away from others, wear a face mask and wash your hands frequently. Do not have visitors to your house and remind those who live in your household that
they should also stay home until the Health Department contacts you.”
Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, chills, repeated shaking with chills, gastrointestinal illness and new loss of taste or smell.
Health officials strongly urge residents to take these precautions:
– Stay home if you are sick and keep your children home if they are sick.
– 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.
– Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough or shortness of breath.
– Do not go to the emergency department unless you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.
A list of testing sites and additional information is posted on the health department’s COVID-19 page at health.oswegocounty.com/covid-19.