OSWEGO, NY – Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang announced today, June 25, that four additional residents have tested positive for COVID-19, bringing the total number of positive cases to 191.
One hundred twenty-six people have now recovered and are no longer in mandatory isolation.
There are four confirmed COVID-19 related deaths in Oswego County.
Huang said that as of today the County Health Department has received all test results from Champlain Valley Specialty employees who live in Oswego County.
“A team of New York State Department of Health nurses joined Oswego County Health Department nurses and tested all 87 Champlain Valley Specialty employees who live in Oswego County. As of June 25, 2020, the County Health Department has received all test results. Thirty-seven employees who are Oswego County residents were lab-confirmed positive for COVID-19,” said Huang.
“The Oswego County Health Department’s Preventive Services team reached out to all positive individuals to identify their close contacts. The investigation indicated further need for testing to protect the Oswego County community. With the state DOH and the support of many community agencies, several testing sessions were deployed in the county to expand testing since June 16.”
Huang said the expanded testing found additional positive residents in the community “who appear to be linked to the positive cases already found.
“These newly-found positives and their close contacts were quickly notified and isolated or quarantined if it was warranted,” he said. “Under the state DOH’s direction, those who should be isolated and quarantined were served with isolation and quarantine orders swiftly.”
COVID-19 has been identified in the cities of Fulton and Oswego and the towns of Boylston, Constantia, Granby, Hannibal, Hastings, Mexico, Minetto, New Haven, Orwell, Oswego, Palermo, Parish, Redfield, Richland, Sandy Creek, Schroeppel, Scriba, Volney, West Monroe and Williamstown.
This report is current as of 4 p.m. June 25.
Please know that these numbers fluctuate frequently. Recovered people are not deducted from the total number of positive cases.
Total # of tests conducted: 14,740
Total # of positive cases: 191
Total # of positive cases recovered: 126
Total deaths: 4
Total # of positive cases active: 61
Total # of negative results: 14,378
Total # of people in mandatory isolation/quarantine: 162
“We’ve been working hard to be able to report information on antibody testing to you,” said Dr. Christina Liepke, medical director of the Oswego County Health Department. “However, we’ve been receiving this data in batches, so at times we get nothing and other times we get several hundred. In the several hundred pieces of information, there are often duplicate and triplicate results, so it takes a bit of time for us to sift through all this data to be able to give to you what we feel is truly accurate. This doesn’t include the Price Chopper data collected by the state
Department of Health in April.”
Total # of positive antibody tests: 50
Total # of negative antibody tests: 2,182
The Oswego County Health Department investigates all cases and, when appropriate, family members and contacts are also placed in mandatory quarantine or isolation. All known contacts of COVID-19 positive patients are notified. In the event that a person who tests positive for COVID-19 had public exposure when they were contagious and the health department could not
contact those at risk individually, a media release is done.
Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup urges residents to continue to take every necessary precaution to help reduce the spread of the coronavirus. He also reminds businesses and organizations that they must follow New York State guidance and develop a re-opening plan before they can resume serving customers.
“The data shows that COVID-19 is still in our community,” said Chairman Weatherup. “We must continue to take personal responsibility and help prevent the spread of the disease.”
Health officials urge residents to take these precautions:
Wear a face mask or covering over your nose and mouth.
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.
Stay home if you are sick unless you are seeking health care.
Call your healthcare provider from home if you are experiencing symptoms such as a fever, cough, or shortness of breath.
Call 911 if you are experiencing life-threatening conditions.