OSWEGO COUNTY – From now on, Oswego County students and staff members who have been exposed to COVID-19 at their school may be notified by their local school district, Christopher Todd,  District Superintendent of Oswego County CiTI BOCES, and Oswego County Public Health Director Jiancheng Huang, announced today.

Todd said the partnership will improve COVID-19 response across the county and streamline the reporting and notification process for everyone.

The new reporting and notification system will help avoid duplicated or missing information. Based on the infected person’s activities in the school setting, the County Health Department determines who should be quarantined, and the schools will notify those close contacts or their families. New York State contact tracers will follow up with daily outreach to these families or individuals. The County Health Department will continue to notify close contacts outside of school communities throughout the county.

“Oswego County has seen exponential increases in COVID-19 over the past two weeks, and a number of school-related cases involve dozens more people who could be exposed and infected,” said Todd. “This partnership will facilitate the process of identifying and notifying close contacts. All public-school districts in the county are on board.”

Huang said the new procedures enhance the strong partnerships already in place between the local health department and schools.

“We greatly appreciate the willingness of the school districts to help in the notification process,” said Huang. ”Positive COVID-19 cases have drastically increased and the health department is flooded with positive reports from lab confirmations and the contact tracing afterward.”

Dr. Christina Liepke, Oswego County Medical Director, said it’s important for families to be aware that schools are working in tandem with the County Health Department. She credited school district leaders for taking a strong role in the fight against COVID.

“This is for the best interest of everyone involved and will provide timely notification of the need to quarantine,” said Dr. Liepke. “Times of great trials in our community, such as this pandemic, are always best addressed when our community leaders work together. I am so thankful to be in a county that has such dedicated and caring school superintendents who genuinely care about our youth.  Our health department is appreciative of their willingness to partner with us in notifying students and staff who have been exposed to a COVID-positive person.”

The health department has been working with school districts across the county on COVID-19 response plans since before classes started in September. Huang said continuous communications between the schools and the health department have helped everyone in the fight against COVID-19.

He thanked school districts, the health department staff and health care partners for their dedication and ongoing efforts to serve the public and reduce the spread of COVID in Oswego County.

“Public health needs the public to take action,” he said. “Once again, I implore my fellow residents to improve their preventive measures. I cannot stress this enough. Please wear a face mask, social distance, avoid social gatherings, and wash your hands frequently.”

Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup agreed. “The COVID-19 virus is now rampant in our county,” he said. “This pandemic has significantly stressed our local and regional health systems, our economy and our patience! Nine months of this has taken its toll.

“However, we, as a community, all working together, can help prevent it from becoming dramatically worse,” he encouraged. “If we want to slow the spread of the virus, we need to change our behaviors. Each one of us must take personal responsibility so that we can avoid additional restrictions and future shutdowns. Please, do your part to protect yourselves, your families and your communities.”

• 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.

For more information, call the Oswego County Health Department COVID-19 hotline at 315-349-3330 from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information about emotional supports, visit the Oswego County Department of Social Services Division of Mental Hygiene at www.oswegocounty.com/mentalhygiene.

New York State provides online links to report violations of health and safety restrictions and requirements for businesses, gatherings and individuals. To file a complaint about a business, location or incident in your community, go to https://mylicense.custhelp.com/app/ask. To file a complaint against your employer or place of work, go to https://labor.ny.gov/workerprotection/laborstandards/coronavirus-complaints.shtm.

Under New York State Public Health Law, the Oswego County Health Department is the sole local public health authority regarding the COVID-19 pandemic response over all persons and entities within the County of Oswego. The Oswego County Health Department works closely with New York State Department of Health regarding COVID-19 monitoring, response and reporting.